10 Years and Counting

This month I celebrated a milestone...10 years with LUPUS! For some it's probably not a big deal, but back in the day when I was first diagnosed-it was considered HUGE! It was May 1, 2000. I was sitting in Dr. Shaskey's office listening to him ramble on and on about my last test results. I'd been sick for months and every test had come back negative for any illness that he "knew" it had to be based on experience with past patients. He was frustrated. I felt like I was going crazy. He seemed annoyed. And I found him arrogant. Such was the beginning of a very wonderful relationship. After going over the routine questions, yet again...I saw his lips form a small grin when I told him that in addition to my knee swelling I had developed a swollen finger. I raised my hand in front of me so he could get a good look hoping that this meant something to him...his grin turned to a smile and then he told me the news. "You have Lupus...not sure where you are at this point but we'll start treatment today. I should know in a couple of weeks just how sick you really are and what we'll need to do. There is no cure...it's fatal."

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs ("foreign invaders," like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues ("auto" means "self") and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

My Lupus is mostly arthritic at this point. I'm allergic to the sun and am even photosensative to indoor lighting. I've also shown some signs of kidney problems when taken off my meds-this has happend several times when Richard and I were trying to start our family. My body advances too quickly without my medicine and so I am not able to carry a child to full term. I'm treated with anti-malaria drugs and I'm on a constant dose of Ibuprofen for my arthritis as well. Although I struggled the last year or so with complications; I'm healthy-today-tomorrow-and in the future, because I'm doing everything Dr. Shaskey tells me to do. And even though I know this can change at any time-I'm looking forward to another 10 years-Heck, I'm just looking forward to today and tomorrow and the day after that! May is Lupus Awareness Month- http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html