What I want to express to everyone is what happens to the individual that happens because of Lupus...Each will be different for each person with Lupus...That is why it is called the ‘Great Impersonator Disease' The frequency that the initial episodes are diagnosed as other diseases. No two people seem to have the exact set of symptoms...Depression and extreme exhaustion seems to be the most common bond. But here are some of the symptoms listed: Persistent fatigue out of proportion with what you would usually expect; Persistent weakness; aching all over; fever which may be slight to high; persistent loss of appetite; involuntary weight loss; increasing hair loss; recurring nose bleeds; sores on the roof of the mouth which burns with spicy foods; unexplained skin rash anywhere on the body; hives; sores on the skin; painful joints; stiffness of the joints when waking up; chest pain which increases with breathing; shortness of breath; coughing up blood; presistent, unusual headache; nausea or vomiting; recurring or persistent abdominal pain; persistent, increasing swelling of feet and/or legs; blood in the urine or dark urine; fainting; vision changes; sleep problems; muscle spasms; sensitivity to heat or cold; dizziness; seizures; memory problems; chills; swollen lymph glands; extreme reaction to the sun; night sweats; changes in personality, thinking or judgement.
Now don't panic....All of those above things do not happen all to
just one person....These are an accumulation of things....But then you
say - -what is left over to feel sick...Believe there are a lot of things...but
these are the things that a person should talk over with their doctor....
There is help....First of all attitude is the strongest thing to
combat Lupus with....If you face it all with a positive attitude, you can
cope with anything.... And, of course, faith, in God and yourself, is also
a bigger and better weapon to fight any disease. With these two, you can
face your family and doctors and know what to do to keep well. I
try to look upon Lupus as a gift that I can use, to be stronger in life
and to help others. To learn tolerance of other people hurt or in pain.
I was diagnosed with Lupus back in 1991, but had many of the symptoms for many many years before that....But I finally found a doctor that tried the test correctly. Now that I had a name for it...I could fight it... Here is a poem that I want to share with you, that I wrote not long after my diagnosis. It helps to put it in perspective:
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And this is another poem that helps also....I also wrote it at about the same time....
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My sister and I both have Lupus and we are a good support to each
other...Believe me, other people do not like to hear about all our troubles
and don't understand them even if they did....Having Lupus means that you
can be feeling on top of the world one moment and the next, sick as a dog....
You can not afford to make promises to go places or do things, because
half the time, you don't really know if you'll make it or not... It means
changing your plans at the last minute because you can't crawl out of bed
to even call and explain why you can't be there. Thank the good Lord, I
have a caring family that supports my sister and I with all of our feelings....They
understand if we have to change plans and all of them make sure that they
arrange things so that we don't get sun exposure. I also find that florescent
lighting can bring on a flare. It is the UV rays that are very harmful....
So that cuts short on our shopping as most stores are full of these lights..
But you can learn to live with it. It mostly helps to have understanding
from someone... A good support group, if you have one in your town, can
be the best help you could ever ask for. Here are some links that have
more information on Lupus and are great spots. Check them out by clicking
on each name:
Jenny
Braveheart Embracing the wolf-(Lupus)
More on Lupus
If you need someone to talk to, even if it is just questions or complaints, email me and I will get right back to you asap..... Or if you have a prayer request, don't hesitate to send it via email to me....Knowing someone really cares about how you feel, can help a great deal....
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