This. [warning: long paragraphs ahead, if you dont want to read all of it, just read paragraphs 3 and 5 because theyre the most important]. Ive been very blessed that for the most part of my life, my lupus has been under control and Ive been able to go about my daily life without being restricted by lupus. But there were days when I woke up with rashes on my face, extreme stiffness in my joints, and swollen fingers and knees joints that made it hurt to walk and write -- and thats considered to be on the mild end of lupus. Other days though, I feel okay and you wouldnt be able to tell that I have lupus. In fact, it was quite easy to forget that I have lupus and to diminish it as just something that would sometimes make my joints hurt but when I take my medicine I feel okay. Until it attacked my brain. Having personally gone from it kind of hurts to walk today to I cant transfer these words from my brain to my mouth or remember these words I read literally seconds before over the span of one summer, I can truly speak to how serious lupus is. I spent weeks in the hospital and months house-ridden because the medicine I took (Prednisone) weakened my immune system so that it would stop attacking my brain (even a simple cold was very harmful to me) and I couldnt use my brain because it needed to heal (which also meant missing an entire year of school). Lupus is a pretty scary disease because its unpredictable. You never know when it might appear or WHERE it might occur. Because the disease (in basic terms) is your own immune system attacking healthy tissue in your body, that means that it can attack any part of your body at random and stop it from functioning properly (such as your brain, your heart, your kidney, your livers). This is the scariest part of lupus. Imagine getting a fever for a couple of days. For most people thats no big deal - just take some meds, see a doctor, and stay home until it blows over. For people with lupus, this could mean any part of your body might start failing due to an attack on your body FROM your body. But again, Ive been fortunate compared to some others with lupus. I am, or at least I currently feel, okay. This is not a sob story. I posted this because I want to bring awareness to the disease. I want others to understand what lupus is and can be like. Even though we may LOOK fine, it doesnt necessarily mean that we ARE fine. To those with lupus, whether it is mild or severe, you are all amazing beings to keep on living your life despite your struggles. Keep thinking positively because things will get better.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 05:29:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015