First Appointment

One step closer to a diagnosis. The rheumatologist we met with was thorough and confirmed our thoughts. She believes that Callaghan has juvenile dermatomyositis because he exhibits most of the clinical symptoms. He will have blood work done tomorrow and an MRI hopefully next week. These two tests will help to confirm the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease. Treatment will begin in a few weeks once we have confirmation and can move forward. 

The treatment will most likely include IV steroids and infusions once a month in addition to methotrexate (a chemotherapy medication) and daily oral steroids. The goal is to suppress his immune system to stop the immune system from fighting his healthy cells. 

My heart breaks knowing how horrible the next few years are going to be for my baby... and I fear that we didn’t catch it early enough. And, staying positive and not letting him know how scared I am is so amazingly hard...