Question
Hello.  I went to the doctor because I was having mild joint/muscle pain.  The biggest annoyance was that the bottom of my feet really hurt when I first got out of bed and started walking in the morning.  Turns out that was just Plantar Fasciitis and with stretching exercises, that has all but gone away.  But I still have stiffness in my hands and my knees get stiff if I sit too long and also feel very stiff if I've walked up a lot of stairs.  I also get hip discomfort if I lay in bed too long. I can still jog, ride my bike and play volleyball, but I just seem to be getting a little too "creaky" for being only 38.  The doctor took x-rays of my hands and found some sort of small growth on a finger in my right hand.  She also ran an ANA and that came back positive.  She said the "pattern" indicated  systemic scleroderma.  This of course has me very alarmed because from what I read, this is usually fatal after 10 or so years isn't it??  I don't seem to have any systems of scleroderma.  If anything, I'd say it seems like I might have a mild case of arthritis.  My mother and grandfather both have rheumatoid arthritis and my father as osteoarthritis.  If I have no systems of scleroderma (except for the ANA test and pattern) how likely is it that I have scleroderma?  I can't get into a rheumatologist for a month and I am afraid I am going to be freaking out that whole time!  Thank you.

Answer
Let me first start by saying that I've had scleroderma for 14 years and my aunt has for almost 50, so, no, it's not "fatal after 10 years or so" necessarily.  The vast majority of people with scleroderma have to live with it for a very long time.

ANAs are used to support a diagnosis based on symptoms, history, and what the doctor see when she observes you (like tight skin or swelling.)  The most dominant symptom of systemic scleroderma is Raynaud's attacks, where exposure to cold or stress causes your hands or feet to turn white when blood vessels spasm, then blue, then red when circulation re-enters the area.  You don't mention it at all so this is a very good sign.

Keep working with your doctor to find the reason for your symptoms and a treatment and/or lifestyle change that will help you.