Posts by ironseal78

Maria Fisher46 said:Hi there,

If you're dealing with recurring keratitis—specifically when you see ulcerations, thinning around the edges of the cornea, or just general inflammation—you really need to look at the bigger picture. We're talking systemic autoimmune issues here. Rheumatoid arthritis is the big one, followed by SLE or maybe Sjögren’s syndrome. You also have to consider things like polyarteritis nodosa or Wegener granulomatosis. Plus, if you look at recent medical literature in the States, testing for Hepatitis C is becoming a standard recommendation. Then there's that frustrating thing called a Moore ulcer, where the cornea gets damaged and doctors honestly can't pinpoint the cause. It's a headache.

Since you mentioned pyoderma gangrenosum alongside those digestive issues—it really makes sense to look into inflammatory bowel disease (specifically ulcerative colitis). Usually, with IBD, people deal more with uveitis—that inflammation behind the cornea—rather than issues with the cornea itself.

Even if you ran all those tests Dr. Sentić suggested and they came back clear—which happens—you have to remember how unpredictable systemic autoimmune diseases can be. It’s frustrating, but sometimes the lab work just doesn't catch anything until it's too late, leaving patients stuck in this weird limbo waiting for a diagnosis. Honestly, I don't think you should have given up on getting a follow-up or a second opinion from Dr. Sentić just because the results looked normal at the time.

Looking at the results you posted—it’s clear your iron stores are tanking—your ferritin is low. That usually means you're losing iron somewhere, and when you factor in those digestive issues, it’s no wonder you were sent to see a gastroenterologist. Honestly, though—for younger women—low ferritin and the resulting anemia is almost always just a side effect of heavy periods.

The IgM levels are looking a bit high too—which can happen with autoimmune issues, sure, but there’s a whole laundry list of other things that cause it. Honestly, getting a protein electrophoresis would be the smartest move here to figure out if we're dealing with polyclonal or monoclonal IgM—basically, you just need to check if there's a spike in the results.

I don't have anything new or particularly brilliant to add to this discussion—honestly, you've probably heard it all already—other than just following whatever your dermatologist tells you to do.

I’m hoping that once vividsailor7 gets back on his feet, he might actually drop some knowledge from the gastroenterology side of things—it'd be nice to hear something useful for once.

Hey there. 🙂

Hey everyone—just checking in.

My keratitis is exactly like this! I remember one time—after my ophthalmologist told me to finally stop using steroid drops since I'd been on them forever—I ended up with a corneal ulcer. They treated it with that "hot ointment" in my eye, and thank God, it cleared up fine. Back then, there wasn't any scarring, but over time, some scarring started forming on the side of my cornea near my nose, along with thinning and those "cloudy patches." When you look at my eye now, the border isn't solid anymore; it’s broken up and white in two spots. It doesn't really mess with my vision yet, though I've been nearsighted for ages. One doctor at a private clinic actually told me I only have about ten years left with that eye. Ugh. 🙄 I've dealt with uveitis before—spent way too much time Googling symptoms and asking doctors for second opinions—but everyone keeps telling me that what I'm dealing with now isn't actually that.

I started seeing Dr. Sentić about two years ago—after I’d already gone through three or four different immunologists—once that ulcer issue cleared up. Honestly, though, I finally gave up on those appointments because I just couldn't stomach hearing about all those "terrifying" diseases you guys were listing. Back then, my eye was really my only problem, and she told me straight up that there wasn't enough evidence for a systemic diagnosis yet—just that I needed to stay on her radar. I get that these conditions are long games and it's a nightmare to tell them apart, so I'll definitely be heading back this fall—and I've already booked an appointment with my GI specialist, too.

Thanks a ton for the reply and all the effort you put into this 🙂

Here are my results—my doctor is currently on vacation 🙂

ferritin 9.53 (15-150)

IgG 9.12 (7-16)

IgA 2.45 (0.7-4)

IgM 3.03 (0.4-2.3)

EMA (IIF) negative titer (
tTG wasn't done (
fibrinogen 2.9 (1.8-4.1)

Lactate dehydrogenase 155 (
Calcium total 2.57 (2.14 - 2.53)

Phosphorus inorganic 1.42 (0.79 -1.42)

Female, 24 years old. For the last 10 years, I've dealt with recurring keratitis from unknown causes (swabs always come back sterile). About 6-7 years ago, I was sent to Dr. Sentić, who put me through a massive battery of tests—blood work, X-rays, dentist, dermatologist, gynecologist, thyroid, rheumatologist, basically everything under the sun. She kept theorizing about all these different diseases and predicting grim outcomes, but nothing ever actually proved anything since all my results were perfect... except for being HLA B27 positive and having elevated IgM back then. Honestly, I used to be in great health, almost never even caught a cold. People used to wonder how I, as a woman, had such high iron levels (though apparently, that's not the case anymore). Anyway, after a short experimental stint on Decortina, they concluded my issue was likely immunological, though local steroid eye drops achieved the same effect—so the doctor and I went our separate ways. It only hits my right eye, and usually, it follows this pattern where one year is a total disaster and the next is calm. They never found a cause for why it fluctuates like that. The only thing is, summer, the heat, the beach, and the sun are terrible for my eye (but allergies have been ruled out; it's definitely not allergic conjunctivitis). I only see my ophthalmologist now.

I was ordered these specific tests because I dealt with "pyoderma" twice last year (summer and fall). It also popped up a year before that, but my doctor just told me it was acne. Since it happened once before and I normally deal with acne, I didn't pay much attention. But when it flared up again last year—one patch after another, inflamed, hot skin specifically on my chin area—it lasted about two months from start to finish. The rest of my face looks totally fine, like it’s a completely different person. That's when I went to a different dermatologist 🙂. After all the swabs came back negative and my gynecological exams were perfectly normal, the dermatologist decided this was part of a larger systemic issue given my keratitis. She sent me for this full workup thinking maybe it's Celiac or Crohn, and told me to see a gastroenterologist. Celiac because it runs in my family (and everyone seems to talk about it lately), and Crohn because I get occasional stomach cramps and diarrhea. I avoid the sun like a vampire, so I suspect my Vitamin D might be low. Haven't had any kidney issues so far. I don't eat much dairy, but I go heavy on nuts.

Thanks so much for any thoughts or help, and sorry if this was too long or information-heavy. 🙂

Hey there! I’m on the hunt for a few things—I’ve already scoured every store in town, but no luck so far!
So, does anyone know where I can find an all-white decorative box and matching solid white wrapping paper?? And I don't mean that cheap stuff they use at the grocery store to wrap up a pound of coffee. It sounds totally basic, I know, but apparently, finding actual white boxes and paper is impossible anywhere. 😢
Actually, maybe even a box and paper with a leopard print pattern??
And one last thing—does anyone know where to find a plush white Maltese puppy?

Thanks! 🙂