do you have lupus

I was diagnosed with SLE in June of 2004. I have been living with lupus every since then. I was 26 years of age. I can remember the exact date I was diagnosed because it was on my 26 birthday.I have also been diagnosed with rheumatiod arthritis and kidney disease as a result of me being diagnosed with lupus.Learning to live with this disease has been very challening. It has changed my life. I have two children at home(a six year old and a ten year old)so at times I find it difficult to do alot of the normal things that i used to do . Its like the simple everyday things now are very challenging for me. Something so simple as going to work everyday and providing for my two lovelys has become a very hard task. Being sick and feeling physically drained all the time makes it hard to hold down a steady career ,not to mention all of the doctors visits.I at least have to see a doctor 4 times a month, its always something. You have to be a really strong person to survive with this disease because it takes a lot out of you. Most people dont get it or understand it because you appear to be ok on the outside but on the inside your body is going through changes that the normal person couldnt even imagine.

I was diagnosed in 1995 with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). I woke up one morning in pain and could not figure out why I was hurting from head to toe. My muscles were sore and stiff. I went to the family doctor who then referred me to a Rhumie, he told me I had something called Lupus and there is no cure for this disease, I broke down in tears, the first thing that I thought of is I don't want to die I'm just 35, I am now 49, in 2005 my kidney's failed, In 2000, I went through 6 months of chemo becuase the doctor could tell that eventually I would loose my kidney's, the chemo helped for a little while, but eventually gave into Lupus. I go to dialysis 3 times a week. Right now I have a slight fever and I am having a flare. I bruise very easily, so every now and then I have these bruises that show up. I have had my share of going in and out of the hospital and late night emergeny room visits becuase I hurt so much I cannot sleep and my 120 mg of morphine and 500/10 mg times 2 of hydrocodone is not strong enough to let me sleep. I wake my oldest son up at 3am so he can take me to the Emergency Room where I have to sometimes explain to the emergecny room doctor what the symptoms of Lupus is which is very frustrating. Now, I am on the kidney transplant list and I wait for the call that they have a kidney for me.

What is Lupus? Dr House says it all the time.

I have Systemic Lupus (as you know there are different kinds). I was diagnosed April 2006 when I suffered acute renal(kidney) failure. At the time I also needed a blood transfusion, I was very anemic and had Raynauds Phenomenon (I may have spelled that wrong.) I spent almost the entire month of April in the hospital. I have arthritis in my hands and knees, also migraines that make me nauseus and last for days sometimes. And let's not forget the fatigue and skin irritations. When I was first diagnosed my life was a mess, things really fell apart. I found it hard to concentrate, I was foregtful and my job really required me to be on point- I was responsible for 27 retail stores when I got really sick. I have learned though how to better cope. Knowing that with Lupus I only may have enough energy to last me a half day, I have to plan everything. I have to alot myself time for a nap. I had to find work that I could do to support myself and my daughter where I was my own boss- so on my not so good days I could rest and make up the work when I feel better. The biggest thing that I had to learn was how to say no! I was so use to taking care of everything... I've had to cool down. Stress management is sooooooo big! The other thing that I had to do (against doctor advice) is to stop taking most of the meds prescribed to me. They kept me sick all of the time. At least now, I have good days and bad. Before I was just sick constantly. It's not easy. I'm in some sort of pain almost everyday. I could take pain meds but I can't create (I write and do music production)so I try to stay away from them. The only thing that I take is Plaquenil for the Lupus and Verapamil for the headaches. I have a high threshold for pain so I just kind of deal with everything else. I'm just being thankful right now... there are so many who die from this because it is not caught in time and I finally went to the emergency room in the nick of time. It could be so much worse. I just thank God for everyday that he allows me before dialysis or transplant. I have already been evaluated for transplant, but I'm holding on to the little kidney function I have left. To answer the question of the previous responder: Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys. But that's not even half of it and it varies from person to person. It's when your immune system loses the ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and it's own cells and tissues. So your immune system creates antibodies directed against the body's healthy cells and tissues. They attack the body causing inflammation, injury to tissue and pain. I hope this helps, sorry I'm so long winded :)

hi there. my daughter has all the symptoms of Lupus but her ANA is negative. so they think she has juvenille dermatomyosits or that and lupus which would be a mixed connective tissue disorder. her first symptoms began at age 1, but she is just 2 in feb and her symptoms list grows every day. do these things just keep on coming? i am scared for each day for her, the doctors are still trying to diagnose which one she has. so no treatment has begun. watching her in pain really kills me. when did your symptoms start? how do you get by?