Chapter 1427: Ankylosing Spondylitis

Chapter 1427: Chapter 1427: Ankylosing Spondylitis

"Describe the feeling in your body after getting up in the morning." Liu Banxia asked.

"Just kind of stiff." The girl said.

"Anyway, after I get up, I move my arms and legs a bit before I actually get out of bed. It makes me feel a bit looser and it doesn’t affect anything I do."

"Sigh...This might not just be a simple protrusion; it may already be a symptom of morning stiffness." Liu Banxia sighed.

"What? What is morning stiffness? Does it mean guys have morning something and girls have morning stiffness? Can’t be, right?" Wang Xiaoyan threw out a bunch of questions.

The girl felt quite embarrassed, knowing exactly what that ’morning something’ implied. Even though she had been living a bit wildly lately, it’s not like her boyfriend wasn’t around when she felt like this.

Liu Banxia gave her a helpless look, "You really should find a boyfriend soon. Morning stiffness, it’s not the same thing as the ’morning something’ you’re talking about."

"Morning stiffness refers to a kind of adhesion and sluggish feeling in the joints after being still for a long time, just like the tight feeling she described, which eases a bit after some movement."

"It’s an early symptom of a disease, so you shouldn’t do any traction for now. Let’s do a blood routine, biochemical blood test, and rheumatism immunity check."

"Uh... Director Liu, are you saying I have rheumatism? Can’t be, how old am I?" The girl asked hesitantly.

"This rheumatism is somewhat different from the common understanding of rheumatism, so we have to continue investigating." Liu Banxia said.

"After all these tests, as long as there are no metal implants in your body, we’ll do an MRI of the sacroiliac joint. I suspect it might be ankylosing spondylitis; let’s look at the scan and maybe do a genetic screening."

"Director Liu, don’t scare me, is my spine damaged?" The girl was visibly unsettled now.

Although she wasn’t very knowledgeable about the disease, she knew any problem with the spine was quite serious. She had seen it on TV a lot, where people could only move their heads and nothing else.

"Don’t worry too much right now; actually, there are quite a number of people with this condition in our country." Liu Banxia said.

"That actor, the legendary ’second uncle’, he’s like this. So when he walks, it looks awkward, but generally, it doesn’t affect lifespan."

"But in life, it can bring us some difficulties. Don’t overthink it for now, just get all the tests done. And do the HLA-B27 genetic test at the same time to save some hassle."

"Don’t be afraid, it doesn’t affect lifespan or anything else, but your life will need to be more regular, and there might be some pain in the future."

"Even if it is diagnosed, we have medications to alleviate the symptoms. Now, the price of that medication is much cheaper than it used to be, unlike before when one shot cost a lot."

Actually, the girl didn’t quite understand what Liu Banxia was saying; she just knew she seemed to have a significant illness and needed to have tests done now.

"Is there no cure?"

While the girl was drawing blood, Wang Xiaoyan moved closer to Liu Banxia.

Liu Banxia nodded, "This disease really can’t be cured, only the symptoms can be improved. The pain she’s experiencing might well be caused by this disease."

"It’s an inflammation, an inflammation of the joints, often affecting the sacroiliac area, so we need an MRI to get a clearer view. Early intervention can reduce suffering."

"Sigh... so young." Wang Xiaoyan sighed.

"This disease is most common between the ages of 16 to 25; the prevalence in our country is about 0.25%." Liu Banxia said.

"That number seems small, but given our population base, it means about one in 400 people. So maybe reassure her not to get too stressed."

Wang Xiaoyan nodded, feeling quite grateful too.

It’s lucky she brought her here; otherwise, as the disease progressed, it might have become very serious. It’s an incurable illness, definitely very suffering.

After drawing blood, Wang Xiaoyan hurriedly rushed to the MRI room as well.

Liu Banxia also walked out of the consultation room. He estimated he was probably right about the disease, but there are some similar conditions, so he directly added an HLA-B27 screening.

"Teacher Liu, why did the diagnosis take so long?" Xu Yino asked.

"The symptoms are quite complex. Initially, I thought it was just a simple protrusion; it might be ankylosing spondylitis." Liu Banxia said.

"Uh... What can be done about this disease? There’s no other better treatment option, is there? Is monoclonal antibody the only option?" Xu Yino asked, caught off guard.

Liu Banxia nodded, "It’s also currently the most widely used, but there might still be some side effects. Just wait for the tests, and we’ll decide once confirmed. How about you guys? Busy?"

"Not busy if there’s extra food, very busy if there isn’t." Xu Yino said seriously.

"You’re so naughty, I’m really worried about what you’ll do to silly Qingqing once you get your new place." Liu Banxia said.

"Teacher Liu, I’m not silly, really not." Liu Yiqing, passing by, said.

"Haha, Qingqing is my good sister; I can bully her, but no one else can." Xu Yino said cheerfully.

"Yeah." Liu Yiqing nodded.

"Alright, seeing how close you two sisters are, I’ll make an extra dish for you tonight." Liu Banxia said.

"Kung Pao Chicken."

The two girls shouted in unison, then celebrated by clapping their hands.

"Cold shredded potato with chili." Liu Banxia gave the answer.

The two girls were angry, this guy is so stingy, it doesn’t cost much, but he just has to tease us a bit.

"Oh, I’m just teasing you. Just don’t wreck my meal card too much." Liu Banxia chuckled.

"Hehe, I knew Teacher Liu is the best." Xu Yino said happily while accepting the meal card.

"Get to work, I still need to learn more from Shi Lei about the current methods for ankylosing spondylitis." Liu Banxia said.

The two girls quickly ran to the side.

Liu Banxia approached Shi Lei and explained the situation of the patient just now.

"From the situation, the likelihood of ankylosing spondylitis is really high. Otherwise, with such a slight protrusion, it wouldn’t cause so many symptoms." Shi Lei said.

"But currently, the treatment is mainly monoclonal antibodies, reportedly a fourth company might be involved, which could lower the price a bit, and there’s news that Humira might be included in the medical insurance, which is currently under discussion, I believe."

"That’s quite promising. There are still quite a lot of ankylosing spondylitis patients in the country. If the symptoms aren’t alleviated, even if it doesn’t affect longevity, it will affect work and life." Liu Banxia said.

"Exactly, I suppose the country has realized this, which is why they have such intentions." Shi Lei said.

"This is my first time encountering this condition. Is the HAL-B27 positive rate high?" Liu Banxia continued to ask.

"It’s quite high, I believe around 60% of patients have a positive reaction. But generally, after an MRI, it becomes pretty clear. Comparatively, it’s more certain with the HAL-B27 test." Shi Lei said.

"Life in the future will be somewhat tough. Even with medication, there will occasionally be pain, it’s just that it can be eased a bit."

His judgment aligned with Shi Lei’s, there really aren’t any other means for this condition at the moment.

The two casually chatted for a while until Wang Xiaoyan and the patient arrived.

They inserted the film into the viewer’s light, where the issue in the sacroiliac region could be seen clearly. Alongside the inflammatory markers in the blood test, it was almost a confirmation.

It’s not infectious inflammation, which is easy to distinguish.

"At this point, we can confirm the diagnosis, even if the HAL-B27 result isn’t out yet." Liu Banxia said.

"But don’t worry, come to the consultation room with me, I need to give some advice. Currently, your pain isn’t severe, so I’m considering conservative treatment first, but there are many things to note."

The young lady nodded, although she was quite anxious inside.

"The first thing is your sleep. Do not use a pillow, and sleep on a firmer mattress, to keep the spine as straight as possible." After arriving at the consultation room, Liu Banxia said.

"Also, regarding the weight-bearing situation I mentioned, avoid carrying heavy objects where possible, considering you also have a protrusion in your lower back, you need to take care."

"If it slightly worsens in the future, you can apply heat or take a hot bath after getting up in the morning, especially focusing on the back and waist, it’s very beneficial for symptom relief."

"The rest involves lifestyle issues, gastrointestinal or urinary tract infections can also trigger spinal inflammation, so pay more attention to your diet."

"When you go back, ask your family members if they have symptoms similar to yours. This is somewhat hereditary, a type of autoimmune disease."

"Regarding medication, I think you can wait for a bit. Currently, the prices are quite high—a shot costs several thousand. When the price drops and it’s included in the insurance, the cost will be significantly less."

"Moreover, you’re still in the early stage, and the symptoms aren’t very severe. Remember to fasten your seat belt no matter where you sit on the bus."

"Are you sure you don’t need to prescribe any medication?" Wang Xiaoyan asked.

"No need." Liu Banxia shook his head.

"By the way, do you smoke? If so, quit, as this disease can also affect the lungs to some extent. Try not to go to places with heavy smoke and try to avoid catching a cold."

"Besides that, there’s nothing else, don’t get worked up, your diet won’t be affected. And given your condition, I think as long as you manage it well, it won’t be too serious."

The young lady nodded, "I’ll change my mattress and stop using a pillow as soon as I go back."

"Alright, if there are any issues, feel free to come back. That’s basically the situation, don’t worry." Liu Banxia advised again.

There’s just no other choice, for a maintainable condition like this, comfort is the only option.