Partial reply which you might not like.

causes of pleurisy http://www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual_home2/sb/sb052_1.htm

Neither did I, but I had 2 huge stones which started "acting up" very shortly after
I started birth control meds.
Large stones can sometimes be picked up on x-ray.
Note in causes of pleurisy "pancreatitis".  Gall stones can cause pancreatitis.
The symptoms can be similar (mimic each other), the organs are close to each other.

Although I would think that an inflamed pancreas would have been picked up by a CT
if they imaged that area of her body and not just her lungs.

This must be some "inside doctor" joke for the "jiggle factor". I have never in my
born days (and that's a long time) and on newsgroups heard of this !

One?

Which makes little logical sense to me (to add weight) to a person who "has had
knee problems most of her life".
You'll see arthritis on the list (above), but she seems rather young for that,
unless she's had sports or dance-related wear and tear/injuries and/or wears the
wrong shoes.

What else makes you think autoimmune or Lupus? Family history? or other signs
/symptoms (if so which)?
CT scans don't rule out all types of cancers.

Talk to us, maybe we can help figure it out.
J

Yes.
A pre-existing condition could make it harder for her to get a job or insurance.
A pre-existing condition could make it harder (or more expensive) for her to get
health and disability and travel insurance.
And that includes breast implants (if that's what you mean by breast enhancement),
based on my reading that newsgroup.
While I'm on the subject, I think they cost approx $2000? It is said they're
guaranteed "for lifetime".
As best I can tell, 10 years is about the average, and resurgeries cost about
$10,000 (US), so if she's a Lupus patient (or any chronic illness for that matter),
how the devil is she going to cope with that (maybe 3 or 4 resurgeries in her
lifetime) not to mention complications like infections or poor healing (for those
who are on Prednisone).

Some do better than 10 years (20 - 25 years), some have complications early, even
soon after the surgery.
Some have complications and don't recognize them as such.
Some have no complications but just change them due to aging or size issues.

It would appear that some who get involved in (non health-related ) cosmetic
surgery early, often go on to wanting other
enhancements to their bodies, over the years.

On the one hand, one thinks a 22 yo is an adult and must make their way themselves.

Parents worry and rightly so.  There's a limit to what parents can actually "do"
for adults.
We were fairly healthy but our parents watched out for us well into the twenties
and longer.

I wonder how she could afford the surgery if she was not working...
Is there more happening (where she is), that a father might want to be aware of and
warn her about.

Back to the knees, of course she could have JVA juvenile arthritis, which may later
require Prednisone. It too is/can be a systemic illness - and very serious.

Back to Lupus, certainly pleurisy can be one of the symptoms and if she still has
symptoms six weeks later, one must wonder because in healthy individuals, I think
pleurisy clears in a matter of weeks.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00244
Pleurisy occurs as a complication of a wide variety of underlying conditions.
Relieving pleurisy involves treating the underlying condition, if it's known, and
taking pain relievers.<snip>
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3639

If she does have Lupus, she would need to know what to avoid (meds, foods, sun
etc).
She in theory could be treated, without an official diagnosis, if she found the
right rheumatologist.
If not, she could crash badly, and end up in hospital very serious.

Those are my thoughts for now, maybe more later.
J

Hi Neil,
Please don't feel as if you barging in on the group. Everyone is most
welcome here. I am not clear on whether it was possible gall bladder or
pleurisy pain that took your daughter to emergency. Perhaps you could
clarify that. Pleurisy can exist on it's own, without an underlying
condition. Maybe her surgery made her more suscepible to it. That is the
only connection I can make. She could go on a low fat diet for now, if gall
bladder is a problem. It would buy some time until her medical benefits fall
into place. I have a daughter too, and I worry about her. However, it might
be best to take her word on how she is feeling. I am sure you would know, if
she were terribly ill. She could have a doctor do a complete blood count at
a later date, if that has not already been done. That would give you an idea
of whether or not to look further. I don't know if I have been at all
helpful. Feel free to ask more questions.
BJ-Sk. Canada

Oh yes, as BJ mentioned, I lost sight of this also.
Stories I can tell you.
18 months of pain because my then doctor (35 years ago) told me "it can't possibly
be gallbladder stones because you are not vomiting" and "the location of pain is
not typical of gallbladder".  So he refused me tests.
It was only incidental by another doctor who took my word and ran an x-ray and
found 2 large stones and rushed me to surgery.
By the way, earlier I mentioned chest-xray, I don't remember what type of x-ray
actually,
Here they mention abdominal x-ray and other tests. I would think ultrasound maybe
/might see (even small) stones, a GI doc would know.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001138.htm

At the same time, I was having trouble, my sister in law was also. She had tiny
little stones, albeit just as painful.
Not viewable on x-ray. I do not know what tests they had to do for her to confirm,
but she was taking some type of med to try and "blast" the little ones to
smithereens, so they'd pass through the duct AND continuing to drink and eat
"fatty" foods.

Not eating fatty foods IMO is a temporary solution (if she has stones). It's
dangerous to keep them in once they start acting up. Infections can occur and/or
cause damage to adjacent organs.  But if she's just recently had surgery, I imagine
she needs some healing time.  I had the open type surgery
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002930.htm

A friend of mine's doctor and she also didn't recognize the signs, so for 4 years,
she was hit suddely with chest pains. We thought it was her heart, but it wasn't
until finally it got bad enough that it was infected and she was vomiting.  Then
there was a delay for surgery.  As a result of the delay (I think), she's now left
with residual pains.  I had no problems for 31 years after my surgery, except for
longer recovery with the open surgery. (being careful what I drank or ate).
So there's the gallbladder.
J
PS Gallblader can mimic pancreatitis, but again I would think the CT (she had)
would have picked up on that.
PPS Just to confuse things more, with Lupus, just about any part of the body can
inflame. (maybe/probably the gallbladder also) and mimic stones, but better safe
than sorry.

Hi Neil

I've been having chest pains 24/7 going on 9 months
straight. I too went to the hospital back in May thought I
having a heart attack. I didn't have one fortunately but
whatever it was it did a nice job of mimicking one. Fooled
everyone including the doc until the lab results started
coming back.

I still don't know what is causing mine and my doctor still
hasn't diagnosed what is causing it. The anti-inflamatories
have not worked at all and neither has anything else.

For now I just live on a day by day basis. If whatever I'm
doing starts making my chest pain worse I stop immediately
and just take it easy. This gets me through the day and I
don't worry much about it. I just keep track of the type of
pain I get, what activity I was doing, and how long it
lasts. There has been times I do get rather worried but most
of the time I just live with it.

So my advice to you is just be supportive to her. You said
that you live 5 hours away. That is too long for you to be
of any immediate help. The best thing you can help her with
is finding an excellent doctor and hospital. Try to find one
that specializes in the type of disease she has as her
primary care physician or at least as a specialist. Some
doctors can really blow you off or in their sincerity, try
to help but are not competent enough to treat such patients
as your daughter.

Best of luck

Sincerely
Rose