Autoimmune Diseases Are Complicated

So, I was going over some of my medical records yesterday and came across a letter that Doctor C wrote to Doctor B.

Two words hit me like a truck – Overlap Syndrome

I can think of two other phrases that have been swimming in my head the last few months, for which I have been filled with a fair amount of anxiety:

Multiple Connective Tissue Disorder (MCTD)

Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD)

Rather than having Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus, it appears that I have both.

As if one of these diseases alone wasn’t “fun” enough!?!

Why is it that these diseases seem to come in pairs? I’ve done a lot of reading and it seems to me that most people who are in the autoimmune camp don’t just have one disease. Is this because these diseases are so hard to diagnose?

The thing is, both MCTD and UCTD are great umbrella categories because they fain actual diagnosis. Maybe I am too hung up on the need for a diagnosis, but I really feel like I can’t move on and it turns out I may never be able to.

One step forward, two steps back…