Spondylitis? I’m curious mostly because I received a similar story and diagnosis, but over the last 5-10 years have had multiple doctors second guess what may be affecting me.
Yes. Once my mum told me to get a test for the HLA-B27 gene, which was positive, my doctor referred me, while still being doubtful. Consultant didn't second guess at all, she looked over my x-ray and family history and said it was pretty clear. It might seem like bad news but it's such a massive relief knowing and having a path forward treatment wise as I get older.
I’ve had as AS diagnosis for over a decade now and it was definitely a relief. Just having a name for why I wasn’t “normal”. Why everyone around was able to just do so much more than I could. That this was a real thing, I’m not somehow faking it, and there’s someone who can help.
I wish you luck and hope you find some physical relief as well!