THERESE - Living with Lupus

I love music and all the aspects of it. The sound, the message and the feeling when you make it! I am also a very spiritual person and am very interested in the spirit world. I know there is a diminsion out there that no one rarely ever sees. I guess it takes a very special person to see this other side of life. I have never seen, but am very open to the idea of seeing.Another interest of mine hits close to home. Lupas Awareness! The majority of the population don't even know what lupas is. Please read my entire site to find out for yourself what is is and what it is not. You never know, one day you might find yourself needing to know what this disabling disease is. It is getting more and more prevelent in women and sometimes men these days. It doesn't have to keep being the MYSTERY disease. Please help spread Lupas Awareness even if you don't know anyone who has it. Please just read the information in my site to find out all that you can.Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLELupus, also called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (sis-teh-mik lew-pus er-eh- thee-muh-toh-sis) or SLE, is a disease that affects your immune system. SLE can affect many parts of the body including joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, heart, blood vessels, nervous system, blood, and brain. Although SLE usually develops in people between the ages of 15 and 44 years, it can occur in childhood or later in life. Normally, your immune system fights infections caused by germs. Instead of protecting your body, your immune system makes the mistake of attacking your body's healthy cells. Normally, lupus develop slowly, with symptoms that come and go. For some, it can cause seriously and even life-threatening problems.The Signs and Symptoms of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE vary and there are usually periods of both illness and wellness (also called remission or having no symptoms). Some people have just a few signs of the disease while others have more. If you experience four or more of the signs or symptoms listed below, consult a healthcare professional who can determine whether you have lupus or one of many other conditions that can cause similar symptoms. Other diseases can cause some of these physical and laboratory abnormalities.The 11 main signs that may indicate lupus symptoms can include: 1. A “BUTTERFLY� rash across the cheeks and the bridge of the nose 2. A scaly, disk-shaped rash on the face, neck, ears, scalp and/or chest) 3. Sensitivity to sunlight (such as severe rashes or illness [fever or extreme tiredness] from minimal sun exposure) 4. Sores on the tongue, inside the mouth, and/or in the nose( lesions) (pain, stiffness and swelling in the joints) 5. Arthritis (pain, stiffness and swelling, in the joints) 6. Pain in your chest and side when you breathe and/or move, abdominal pain 7. Kidney problems (Cans be detected by a urine sample that shows protein and/or red blood cells in the urine, or by blood tests of kidney function called blood urea nitrogen (BUN) or creatinine. Severe cases may be associated with symptoms such as swelling of the legs and feet from protein leaking into the urine.) Kidney inflammation. 8. Neurologic (brain) problems, including headaches, seizures, paranoia, psychosis, schizophrenia, hallucinations, depression, trouble thinking, memory problems, blot clots or strokes. 9. Blood problems such as low white blood cell count, low platelet count or anemia 10. Immune system problems, weight loss, hair loss, purple or pale fingers or toes from cold or stress, 11. Antinuclear antibodies (These attack the body’s own cells.)I was diagnosed the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus SLE with Mixed Connective Tissues at the age of 34 years of age. My mother died of this TERRIBLE disease in the early '80's, when SLE was a mystery. She left behind a husband and 5 children. This just tells you that during those years Lupus was not that known. When I was diagnosed with SLE, I thought it was a death sentence! SLE can be difficult to diagnose and no two people will have the same complaints and symptoms and can sometimes be mistaken for those other conditions, like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, Cancer, Chron’s disease, Lyme disease, and mononucleosis. Remember that SLE is an autoimmune disease and you CANNOT CATCH IT FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS IT! If you KNOW SOMEONE with LUPAS, please try to UNDERSTAND the PAIN they are in everyday and what they have may be why who they are. They SUFFER more pain than you could ever know. So if you think they are just complaining, they're not! LOVE, UNDERSTAND and SUPPORT THEM!
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