Hi and welcome to MedHelp.
I am around your dad's age and have girls your age. How precious of you to care so much about your daddy. When I was so sick I couldn't function, it wouldv'e been sonderful to have someone doing the research for me. What a blessing you are to your dad!
You dad has so much going on. I wouldn't dismiss the thought your dad was exposed to something that could be contributing to this. I don't quite know what to tell you. Many sound like lupus, while some sound like MS. Although, it's possible he has both. And a negative MRI doesn't totally dismiss MS. I would certainly post your question on the MS forum.
Please define "very high ANA titer". Could you give me a #? Specked pattern is seen in SLE (systemic lupus), numerous other autoimmune diseases and in some healthy individuals. (I laugh at this because why would they be checking a "healthy individual's ANA???) But that's what the textbook says :o) The amount is going to tell if it means something or possibly nothing.
I don't know what to think about the bladder cyst and lymph node tumors, and no testosterone. But the other symptoms I had before I was put on lupus medicine. With everything your dad has been exposed to, I wouldn't doubt if your dad is not dealing with several things. I know you all are frustrated with the run around you are gettin. This is very typical. Drs. don't rush into autoimmune diagnosis quickly.
There are 11 criteria for a lupus dx. You must have at least 4 of the 11 to recieve a dx.
They are:
1. malar rash over cheeks (butterfly rash)
2. discoid rash, red raised patches
3. photosensitivity - reaction to sunlight, resulting in skin rash
4. oral and nose ulcers
5. arthritis
6. serositis - inflamation of the lining of the lung or heart
7. reanl disorder - excessive protein in urine and/or cellular casts
8. neurologic disorder - seizures, or psychosis
9. anemia or low white blood countor lymphopenia or low platelet count
10. positive ANA
11. positive anti-DNA or anti-Sm, or antiphospholipid antibody or false pos. syphilis test
Other symptoms are:
fever
abdominal pain
chest pain
shortness of breath
blood in urine
hair falling out
fatigue
muscle pain and weakness
dizziness
poor memory
headaches
poor circulation in fingers and toes
tingling in extremities
diarrhea
bloating
nausea
weight loss
abdominal pain
blurred vision
depression
palpitations
raynauds (where fingers turn white when cold)
intollerance to cold
sore throat
...to name a few
Keep in mind that fibromyalgia, CFS, MS and lymes disease also have similar symptoms.
How many of the 11 does your dad have?
Praying for your dad. We are all so very grateful for his unselfish sacrifice for our freedom and other countries to have freedom.
Freedom is not free.
Kara
I experienced many of the sympthoms you list and my last trip to the emergency room was told I showed sympthoms of MS in my upper body. They could not find anything with the MRI so they put me on blood pressure medicine and told me to take an aspirin everyday. They seem to think it was old age. Investigating these sympthoms lead me to believeing I had mercury poisoning. I had many amalgam (mercury fillings) in my mouth and had gingivitus. If you father is in the military he has probably had many vaccinations which are full of mercury. If you want to try something get the book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing". It will give you a list of supplements your father can use to get the mercury and other toxins out of his body. If the supplements work then you can examine other things to free your body of mercury. I do not do vaccinations anymore and do not have any amalgams in my mouth now and all the sympthoms I had are gone. Check out the Paleo diet which has shown success in treating autoimmune disease.