Hi everyone, hope you all are blessed.

I just wanted to share an update to my forever changing health issues. To make it short and sweet, I was diagnosed with Systemic lupus erythematosus last week. This diagnosis came after a Breast Cancer scare and Lymphoma with three different biopsies, a crazy amount of blood tests, xrays and cat scans to boot. Since getting this news, I have had a whirlwind of different emotions – depression, denial, and numbness to it all, included.

If you haven’t heard of Lupus before, it is an autoimmune disease which can be very challenging for medical professionals to diagnose because it’s symptoms can mimic so many other health conditions. This condition can be manageable or become life threatening. The causes to this disease is unknown, but it could be linked to genetics or hormones.

In regards to my flares (a return or increase in symptoms), I have been thinking of things that have happened to me in the last past few years that could be contributed to Lupus instead of what I was diagnosed with. The symptoms for Lupus below (source: the CDC website) include:

• Muscle and joint pain. You may experience pain and stiffness, with or without swelling. This affects most people with lupus. Common areas for muscle pain and swelling include the neck, thighs, shoulders, and upper arms.
• Fever. A fever higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit affects many people with lupus. The fever is often caused by inflammation or infection. Lupus medicine can help manage and prevent fever.
• Rashes. You may get rashes on any part of your body that is exposed to the sun, such as your face, arms, and hands. One common sign of lupus is a red, butterfly-shaped rash across the nose and cheeks.
• Chest pain.  Lupus can trigger inflammation in the lining of the lungs. This causes chest pain when breathing deeply.
• Hair loss. Patchy or bald spots are common. Hair loss could also be caused by some medicines or infection.
• Sun or light sensitivity. Most people with lupus are sensitive to light, a condition called photosensitivity. Exposure to light can cause rashes, fever, fatigue, or joint pain in some people with lupus.
• Kidney problems. Half of people with lupus also have kidney problems, called lupus nephritis.³ Symptoms include weight gain, swollen ankles, high blood pressure, and decreased kidney function.
• Mouth sores. Also called ulcers, these sores usually appear on the roof of the mouth, but can also appear in the gums, inside the cheeks, and on the lips. They may be painless, or you may have soreness or dry mouth.
• Prolonged or extreme fatigue. You may feel tired or exhausted even when you get enough sleep. Fatigue can also be a warning sign of a lupus flare.
• Anemia. Fatigue could be a sign of anemia, a condition that happens when your body does not have red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. 
• Memory problems. Some people with lupus report problems with forgetfulness or confusion.
• Blood clotting. You may have a higher risk of blood clotting. This can cause blood clots in the legs or lungs, stroke, heart attack, or repeated miscarriages.
• Eye disease. You may get dry eyes, eye inflammation, and eyelid rashes.

My symptoms: For me, I have had chest pain especially when breathing in, in the past. Nothing was found when I went to the hospital for this. I also have had a chronic cough that I’ve kept for months at a time – I was diagnosed with cough variant asthma and bronchitis for this, although my chest xray’s were clear. I don’t really have joint pain, other than in my knees, and have to be careful going up and down stairs. I had just felt that my knees were going bad with age although I am only 40 years old but maybe I am wrong. Also admit-tingly, I have become more forgetful in recent years. I bruise fairly easily. I have had some noticeable hair loss or thinning at my temples. At least once a year, I get a faint rash on my cheeks and sometimes my nose, that seems more like peeling or flaking skin to me, which I had blamed on sunburn. I’ve had protein in my urine a lot, although my last drop showed no blood. I am very anemic, short on white blood cells. My whole lymph node chain on the right side of my neck is enlarged and palpable. But, the most significant symptom for me has been fatigue. I get tired and winded fast, I am exhausted over short walks and small amounts of exercise.

My Tests: There were several tests that my doctor confirmed my diagnosis with alongside my symptoms. My SED Rate was 31, when the normal is 0-25. My ANA subtypes – SSA/RO60, Anti-smith, and anti rno/sm were all were very highly positive (being tested twice). My anti-smith alone was 1096.3 when the normal is 0.0-19.9. My CH-50 Complement was greater than 60.

So where do I go from here? Well, I’m trying to take it one day at a time. I know that I need to take better care of myself in means of self care (eliminate the stress in my life, mainly and most importantly), eat much healthier foods than I have in the past, and exercise more often. I have a decent size support system within my family, who has been checking up on my well-being and offering help whenever I need it. Oddly in hard times you will come to find who you can open up to and lean on and whom you cannot.

As I am very new to this, I plan to start a Youtube channel to share some of my thoughts and experiences in navigating this diagnosis. I am not a doctor or a health care professional of any sort so if you feel you might have a medical issue you should contact a medical doctor or physician, or go to a medical facility immediately to voice any concerns that you have about your own health.

Pray for me ya’ll. I need it and I will pray for you as well. Do you have Lupus? I’d love to hear your story – leave me a comment below. Until next time, thanks for reading as always.

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