Kathy, it is so scary to have child that may have a serious illness.
My 14 year old has been struggling for a couple years now with symptoms
and lab results that don't make sense to anyone.  She, also, doesn't
have any arthritis, but it looks like she's got a lupus related
clotting disorder.  She has "migraines" that cause her to loose use of
her right arm, her speech is so slurred we can hardly understand her
and sometimes her face droops - like she's had a stroke.  The only
thing that works is Prednisone, and that is dramatic.

Anyway, I feel your pain.  It's great that you have an internist that
will see a teen.  I hope you get some answers soon.  The not knowing
can be worse than having a name for it.

Gretchen

Hi Kathy and everyone,
I'm Diane and I can sympathize. My 16-yr old daughter Isabelle was also
just diagnosed with lupus. She had Reynaud's (which we didn't know the
name for, of course) which was getting to be a nuisance, so we went to
see her pediatrician. She did some blood work and immediately referred
my daughter to a pediatric rheumatoid specialist, who was able to
confirm lupus with remarkable speed. She has so many symptoms: fatigue,
Reynaud's, cold sores (since she was 4), arthritis in both hands (such
a shock), fever (102), and the lab work. All this has happened in
little more than one month. Before that, Isabelle was so active playing
one or two sports at a time at school that the fact that she'd want to
lay down when she got home and sleep late on the weekends didn't seem
at all unusual. How could it be? She's a teenager! But the arthritis
and all the rest of the symptoms have started in with a vengence that
has not abated. I have been so scared for her. Isabelle has been
running a high fever, totally wiped out and sore all over. She's on
napracin and also an anti-malarial drug so far. Yet she gets up each
morning to go to school without complaint. Yesterday morning I gave her
some Tylenol because she was feverish, and she remarked how it made her
feel better than usual. I had no idea how awful she felt, she's such a
stoic kid. Anyway, the good news is Isabelle has felt a little better
the last two days, and we're going to see her rheumy dr tomorrow to
give him an update. He is already talking about 20 mg of prednisone
though. Just how common is lupus in teenagers?  I've been reading all
your posts, and learning from them. I also have some of the books that
you all have recommended. It's quite a learning process. Thanks for
letting me ramble. Di