If you have Mild Wegener's Disease what are the symptoms?

[elephant]

I started this thread because I think my Dad might have WG. He recently told me he had four Maxillary sinus surgeries on the left side and so have I. He has chest pain on/off and diagnosed with emphysema ( he did smoke for over 50 years) and slight RA. He had some abdominal problems too. I am trying to get more information about what else is going on with him, but he gets overwhelmed easily.
He is seeing his ENT today, I emailed him and told him most doctors don't know much or anything about WG. I probably am jumping to conclusions.

[JanW]

Elephant -- I think his first stop should be the lab, just to get CBC, chem panel and a basic rheumotology panel done. You may or may not be jumping to conclusions (he could just have bad sinuses), but bloodwork would at least identify any inflammatory condition. I wouldn't count on an ENT or for that matter any doctor that specializes in a subset of body parts to recognize the disease. That would be a crapshoot.

[Jack]

The chances of him also having Wegener's is very slim. I know that when I was first diagnosed there was only one known instance of two Wegener's patients in the same family. This is one reason why the disease is not believed to be genetic.

Most medical problems in other people are not Wegener's.

[elephant]

Thanks Jan and Jack, I am going to call him today and see how he is doing. I will ask him to get some simple blood work and see what he says. I agree Jack, he probably doesn't. It's just weird that we had four surgeries in the left maxillary. Thanks again .

[elephant]

Spoke with my Dad and he says he will ask his doctor for the simple blood test. Hopefully I will find out soon. Or I will be nagging him. Oh no!

[Sangye]

Elephant, ask him to tell his ENT that his daughter has Wegs. They need to have current family histories, anyway. That way your dad doesn't have to get as involved or overwhelmed. The doc would be more likely to review his case with that seed planted in his mind. Though very rare, I've heard of 2 Weggies in one family.