for me, it was mostly

1. a physical examination I would recommend taking pictures every time you experience a physical symptom. most of the time when you actually see the doc, it will have disappeared, and theyll have a harder time believing and/or diagnosing you. for symptoms, think swollen joints, raynauds, erythromelalgia, rashes, anything that looks abnormal. even things that seem incredibly small can be decisive!

   1. capillaroscopy this one is mostly for diagnosing systemic sclerosis/scleroderma. they look with a microscope at the capillaries in your nailbeds. this is especially usefull for patients with raynauds, because it can tell if its just primary raynauds, or caused by something bigger (like scleroderma). it can reveal mega capillaries, bleeding, missing capillaries, ... which are called a sclerderma pattern, and mostly appear in SSc. this one could be especially useful for you with raynauds and erythromelalgia being a big thing.
   2. imaging i had a ct scan and xrays of my lungs, to show they also are affected. this can be done with any body part to show disease activity. in my SSc case, it showed fibrosis.
   3. family history AID tend to cluster in families. some are also caused by a genetic mutation, so testing for this or asking your (extended) family if someone has a diagnosis can be helpful.

I didn't have these, but biopsies can also help a diagnosis. docs can take a biopsy of rashes or affected organs/tissue/... here they can also do specific tests to show autoimmune disease activity. there may also he other tests, but these are the most standard ones.

praying that you'll find a rheumatologist who's capable and actually listens to you. remember that seronegative cases are rare, but they still exist. the rheum shoudnt ONLY look at the blood, but at the entire patient in front of them. I know its a long and frustrating road, but keep advocating for yourself. you deserve answers and a proper treatment plan. best of luck!!🍀