Thank you to those of you who are following my case, and investing your
energy in caring for me.

I make new headings for my own sake;  I am very visually oriented, and this
way I can find when I have said something new, not just responding to
something I have already said.

Tests are now actively in the works for me.  I have never had such a workup
in my life.  Back when I was in a funk, not knowing I had lupus, attention
from a medical team like this would have been a dream.

The Echocardiogram...well, it looked like a pumping heart, and that is all I
can say.  Today I had the Carotid ultrasound, which is the same as a Carotic
Doppler.  The tech was ultra cool, he let me talk the whole time, and he
also let me see my carotid arteries!  They are beautiful.  There is nothing
the doctor could possibly say about them, though he does have to be the one
to "tell me" my vessels are clean as a whistle.  They were better than I
ever dreamed they could have looked.

Also I found a copy of the labwork that I demanded of my GP doctor back on
Friday...yes, she ordered what I needed...both of the thyroid antibodies, a
CK and LDH.  No ANA, unfortunately...I forgot to mention it to her. It is
such an obvious thing to me.

It would be so hard trying to go through all this testing without a private
cardiologist, and only having a clinic that takes Medi-CAL (Medic-Aid)
insurance.  It was Absolute Providence that sent this cardiologist to me.

I continue to use most of my energy trying to coordinate my
healthcare...making sure that all my doctors get the tests and know what the
other is doing.  My GP at the clinic was completely "out of the loop" when
it came to events after last Friday, and was a bit upset today when I had
cancelled the cardiology consult she had set up.  It almost escaped my
attention that she was actually sending me to another doctor...I was just
thinking..."cardiologist...ugh...well he will tell her it's all being taken
care of." Duh.

Thanks for listening everyone.  I still continue to have symptoms.  I feel
like I have heartburn all the time.  The cardiologist said when he was
releasing me from the hospital, that he thinks we are heading toward
pericarditis.  I don't know exactly how he is going to diagnose that, and I
am praying that I don't have to be infused with a huge amount...even IV...
of steroids to find out.  That is what happened to my brother...the only way
they decided he had lupus, was two weeks in intensive care...and I am not
sure how long it took for them to start using the steroids...that would not
have taken two weeks, I don't think.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

take care,

Mair