I got blood test results back today.......

and I'm a little freaked out!!! here's the background.......I had a weird numbness w/ my hands last month, it happened a few times, I went to the doctor and she was concerned b/c my finger tips were turning completely white when it was happening, and when I ran them under warm water, they turned purple as they went back to normal. freaky!

anyhoo.....so today I get a call back w/ the blood test results, she tested me for all kinds of things. everything was fine, except an ANA test (antinuclear antibodies?) came back positive. from what I understand its an autoimmune test and it might relate to arthritis??? I'm soooooo confused!!! the doctor referred me to a rheumatologist (Dr. Porges in Roslyn).....I'll be seeing him on 5/28, but wanted to see if anyone had experience w/ this test, or knows anything about it.

any info is appreciated......or you can show some love to a scaredy cat like me.....I hate not knowing what's going on!!! and now I have the wholllllle month to research this like crazy online!!


I found some info on WebMD, this just sounds scary to me!! here's a little blurb from the article:

An antinuclear antibody (ANA) test measures the amount and pattern of antibodies in your blood that work against your own body (autoimmune).

The body's immune system normally attacks and destroys foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses. However, in disorders known as autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks and destroys the body's normal tissues. When a person has an autoimmune disease, the immune system produces antibodies that attach to the body's own cells as though they were foreign substances, often causing them to be damaged or destroyed. Rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus are examples of autoimmune diseases.

An ANA test is used along with your symptoms, physical examination, and other tests to find an autoimmune disease.


here's a link to what I found on webMD:


ANA test info

thanks for reading! please just tell me not to freak out!!

Awwww Helen try to stay calm and positive, I know easier said than done. All I know about numbness is I get it when I do not have enough calcium and have seen my fingers turn a faint shade of purple. Sending you some .

first thing...

youre gonna be okay. dont freak out. worrying for a month will do you no good, so try to focus on other things going on for you and DH if you can. i know easier said than done! you have the appt made so youre doing all you can.

we're here for ya!!

big prayers!

thanks guys!! I think what's got me feeling more nervous is that my SIL was saying that she has autoimmune problems b/c it runs in her family, and her mom has multiple sclerosis......so even if I find out I don't have anything now, I just wonder if that means I will definitely get something later? I guess I'll just have to make a list of all my questions for the doctor visit!!

thats a great idea! its so easy to walk in there and totally blank on your questions, so write it all down. as for the future, i know it can be scary to think about it like that (i worry where my health might go too), but the big guy upstairs says 'Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?' and 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' These reminders help me when I'm worried and I need to hand it over, especially when it is entirely outside of my control.

Awww Helen, that would freak me out too!!!! But my RN friend is ALWAYS telling me 'step AWAYYYYYY from the Google!!' She spends half of her patient visits calming people down after 'bad' internet research! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing as they say...
I dont know much about autoimmune disorders at all but first and I would say there's no reason that this would 'predict' anything down the road?? Also the doctor sounded like she was pretty calm about it so perhaps that is a good thing?
You're not a scaredy cat, any one of us would be a bit freaked out, don't worry!!! But I agree the ?s list is a GREAT idea, it will help so much when you have your appointment with the specialist!!
Good luck honey and keep us posted!!!

Hey Helen,

Don't freak out. A positive ANA may be a false positive - which means it's negative.
If it is infact, positive, then that only means that you have a positive marker for some autoimmune disease. It's not specific for anything so please don't freak yourself out by looking online at random diseases.

The rheumatologist will run some tests and will give you a better idea on what he thinks it is.

I am sure everything is going to be fine sweetie! Try not to make yourself crazy reading everything online... you will go nuts, trust me!! Sending you lots of postive healing vibes, hugs and prayers!!

Helen, definitely stay calm. But if you want to talk, I have rheumatoid arthritis and I was diagnosed at 18. I stay away from WebMD, because all it does is scare you.

If you have any questions or want to talk, FM me!

ok just my 2 cents but sounds like you have raynauds . It can be primary or secondary. I have it in my hands and feet. I am + for ANA and APS (IgG). My hands and feet get tingly and can be swollen and painful. They also turn white. When the blood flows back they go from white to blue to red.
I have an undiagnosed auto immune disorder. That means there is something wrong but they don't know what. I can deal with the joint issues and just have to be carefull around sick people (I catch things easily). If you have any questions feel free to fm me. And for me this is not genetic. It is just the luck of the draw.

Helen!
Plenty of !
Please don't worry, it's all going to work out ok!!
Definitely step away from Google like someone else said!! There is way too much misinformation on the Internet!!!

WebMD is not your friend stay away from it. I'm sure if the doctor thought it was serious you would be going for tests everyday.