Battling Lupus

        Lupus is not an easy disease to battle. One day you could feel and look perfectly fine and the next you could be very sick and barely move. This was my case. Yesterday I was perfectly fine, then today I woke up and I could not move. Yesterday, about last period class, I could feel the side of my right hand and wrist getting swollen (with no cause) - so much to the point where I had to ask Nicole to write what the teacher was writing in class. I didn't really understand why it was happening. Usually when I have flare ups like these, it means that I haven't taken my medication properly. But this time I was taking my medications properly; I didn't skip. I took in total about 800mg of ibuprofen (throughout the day), iced it all yesterday and last night, put Vick's vapor on my wrists (which usually relieves the pain) but the swelling/hot temperature in my hands didn't change. I could NOT sleep last night; the pain was unbearable so much that I was crying. Anyways, today I woke up feeling terrible. Not only was the right hand swollen, but the left hand was as swollen as the other. GREAT! Plus I woke up with a bad sore throat, so I ended up having to miss school. Of course, I feel better now but Lupus is not an easy to control because it is unpredictable.

The day I stayed home when I had a flare up.

One thing that I've learned with Lupus is to NEVER ICE SWOLLEN JOINTS - it just makes everything worse. Always heat! (:

What Is Lupus?

        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 auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These auto-antibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

• Lupus is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better). Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life. 
• Lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot "catch" lupus from someone or "give" lupus to someone. 
• Lupus is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, as described above. 
• Lupus is not like or related to HIV (Human Immune Deficiency Virus) or AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). In HIV or AIDS the immune system is underactive; in lupus, the immune system is overactive. 
• Our research estimates that at least 1.5 million Americans have lupus. The actual number may be higher; however, there have been no large-scale studies to show the actual number of people in the U.S. living with lupus. 
• It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus. 
• Lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age (15-44). However, men, children, and teenagers develop lupus, too. 
• Women of color are 2-3 times more likely to develop lupus. 
• People of all races and ethnic groups can develop lupus. 
• More than 16,000 new cases of lupus are reported annually across the country. 

Credit: Lupus Foundation of America

http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_learnunderstanding.aspx?articleid=2232&zoneid=523

Living And Loving Life Even With Lupus

As life goes on, you notice that it’s not always going to be easy. There may be bumps and cracks in the road and holes that you may never expect coming. 

        My difficult situation would probably be getting diagnosed with SLE Lupus at age 13. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder. SLE may affect the skin, joints, kidneys, and other organs. When I was at a younger age, I remembered complaining about how my bones would ache and hurt and how my feet would swell up for no reason. I remembered being so tired and immediately going to sleep early after finishing my homework. My aunt would say that I limped when I walked.

        Between the ages of 11 and 12, I began to develop severe chest pains and swollen joints. That’s when I went to the hospital and was diagnosed after all the tests done. I am not going to lie that it wasn't scary because it was. What I can say though is that it has made me a much stronger person. I've learned that “life” is not always going to be a straight line, but a curvy one.

        I believe that you must always have faith in everything you do and that there shouldn't be any hint of doubt in your mind. It has even motivated me to reach for the stars and in everything I do, to be successful in it. Today, I am healthy and moderating the illness. When I tell people I have Lupus, they don’t believe it because I don’t look like I have it and I don't go bragging it to people for them to pity me.

        I want to be able to inspire people and set a good example for others at a young age. Throughout everything though, you learn to always stay positive. Negativity can bring you nowhere but down.

Date Diagnosed: October 28, 2009
Age 13