(no subject)
Well, it's (probably) not strep. And it's not mono! Woo!!!
And the rheumatoid factor test came back negative.
Of course, my hands still hurt, so the doctor (well, her nurse practitioner, who I didn't mind seeing today b/c it was just a sore throat and test results) decided to run one more test, this one to test for non-specified autoimmune issues. Basically, if this ANA test comes back positive, it's likely that I have an autoimmune disorder. (And it's likely that that disorder is lupus. But considering that I have basically NO symptoms of lupus other than joint pain, I'm honestly not worrying about that. Much.)
The NP also asked if I wanted to see a rheumatologist, but I said I would think about it and decide later. I go back for a gyno exam in October (which I will insist be performed by the female doctor rather than the male NP), and I'll decide then. My doctor, incidentally, is pregnant. I did not notice it last time, but it was hard to miss today. I feel a little bad for being mildly perturbed. Mostly b/c it's like, "But I just finally picked out a doctor! And she'll go on maternity leave soon!"
As for my tonsils, the NP looks at my throat and goes, "Yeah, those look pretty rough." The infection has spread to the right, though it doesn't look as wretched as the left does. Though the quick strep test came back negative, they took a culture, too, and I won't know the results till Monday or so. But they gave me some antibiotics anyway, just b/c they can't be sure if it's viral or bacterial, so they'd rather just treat it as if it's bacterial.
In unrelated-to-my health catty comments, Sarah Brightman (who just sang on America's Got Talent) is definitely no longer looking like the ingenue Christine. She could play Carlotta, though.
And the rheumatoid factor test came back negative.
Of course, my hands still hurt, so the doctor (well, her nurse practitioner, who I didn't mind seeing today b/c it was just a sore throat and test results) decided to run one more test, this one to test for non-specified autoimmune issues. Basically, if this ANA test comes back positive, it's likely that I have an autoimmune disorder. (And it's likely that that disorder is lupus. But considering that I have basically NO symptoms of lupus other than joint pain, I'm honestly not worrying about that. Much.)
The NP also asked if I wanted to see a rheumatologist, but I said I would think about it and decide later. I go back for a gyno exam in October (which I will insist be performed by the female doctor rather than the male NP), and I'll decide then. My doctor, incidentally, is pregnant. I did not notice it last time, but it was hard to miss today. I feel a little bad for being mildly perturbed. Mostly b/c it's like, "But I just finally picked out a doctor! And she'll go on maternity leave soon!"
As for my tonsils, the NP looks at my throat and goes, "Yeah, those look pretty rough." The infection has spread to the right, though it doesn't look as wretched as the left does. Though the quick strep test came back negative, they took a culture, too, and I won't know the results till Monday or so. But they gave me some antibiotics anyway, just b/c they can't be sure if it's viral or bacterial, so they'd rather just treat it as if it's bacterial.
In unrelated-to-my health catty comments, Sarah Brightman (who just sang on America's Got Talent) is definitely no longer looking like the ingenue Christine. She could play Carlotta, though.