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GCA

Posted , 7 users are following.

sandra28555
sandra28555

i am seeing the opthamologist in the morning for a possible diagnosis of this GCA. I hope they can say I don't have it without having to do a biopsy. Are the biopsies painful?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • marthatidbit
    marthatidbit sandra28555

    Posted

    Sandra, for me, the most painful part was laying flat on my back with my heard turned all the way to one side for almost an hour. With the stiffness and pain I was experiencing, that was seriously difficult and required some serious breathing and relaxation techniques.

    Otherwise, the surgery itself was not painful, and recovery was very easy. I had planned to work the following day, but a snow day kept me home, and that was probably good. Some pain while upright and walking around. The next day I was fine.

    My biopsy was negative, but that doesn't necessarily rule out GCA. One could have GCA even if the segment of artery they biopsy doesn't contain giant cells. So, surgery and a 2 inch scar kind of for nothing.... as my dr started me on the gca pred dose anyway.

  • FlipDover_Aust
    FlipDover_Aust sandra28555

    Posted

    I really don't understand why they bother doing this test given unless there are giant cells present in the biopsy, they can't definitivly say whether you do or do not have GCA! And it seems that the biopsy rarely shows any giant cells!
  • elizabeth20640
    elizabeth20640 sandra28555

    Posted

    Hi Sandra I had a biopsy over a year ago, no it wasn't painful,it was a vascular surgeon who did the biopsy, they were all so nice. and it was positive, good luck let us know how you get on
  • Ardern
    Ardern sandra28555

    Posted

    Hi Sandra No the Biopsy was not painful. The problem I had was the same as marthatidbit to stay in that position for a hour. The  removeal of the artery only took 15 minutes but to took a lomg time to stop the bleeding I was taking asprin at the time. the scar is inside my hair line so you do not see it. It was important that i had it done because I only had a few symbolts for G C A

    Good luck

    g

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