for newbie Kim

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

My name is Cheryl & I’m in Northern CA.

 My kids are grown and gone, both living out of state.  I have 3

grandchildren.  I don’t know how you deal with 6 kids, let alone 6 kids

while you are ill.  My symptoms of Lupus began while I was a teen.  I didn’t

get a lupus dx until I was about 45 years old. I have had lupus all that time

while working.  I got sicker and had to work part-time.  I had irritable bowel syndrome

and TMJ dysfunction too.  Seven years ago I got cancer.  I had a small stroke.  I

came down with fibromyalgia due to the physical and mental stress of the

illnesses.  I now have arthritis, osteoporosis, the usual memory loss,

interstitial cystitis and who knows what else.  I just had my gallbladder

removed in January and I am still recovering.  

We have something in common.  My husband is bi-polar.  He

drank a lot the first 2 years we were married.  He didn’t know he was

bi-polar.  Drinking is a common medication for bi-polar illness.  Neither of us

drinks now.  I have been on a rollercoaster ride with him for 25 years.  He too

used to make a lot of money.  He had a psychotic breakdown and we lost two

houses, his job and had to move and go bankrupt. He has had about 17 jobs in

all the years we have been married.  He and I are both 57 now.  He has been on

his current job for about 4 months.  He makes about ¼ of what he used to make. 

It is very hard to get a job at his age.  I am on permanent disability. It has

been hard on him having the whole responsibility of bringing in the money.  We

went without insurance for about a year.  He recently had a psychotic episode

and caused a lot of family trouble because he couldn’t get his meds.  My daughter’s

family hates us now. He is a good, faithful, and kind man but you know what it

is like to live with someone with that problem.  I have my own problems too.  I

suffer from depression due to my illnesses.  My husband needs me to keep him

stable and I need him because I can’t take care of myself.  We love each

other but go through trials, He is my strength and a trial too.

It’s nice to meet you and find someone on the lupie

line who has a bi-polar husband too.

 Hi all,

My name is Kim. I am a 38 yo sahm to 6 great kids, 5 boys

and an 11 mo princess.) My hubby is a loan

officer, and we live in

the SF bay area here in CA.

My symptoms of lupus started almost right after my dd was

born, although I didn't recognize what was going

on. I got post

partum depression for a short time. I started on

Zoloft, but it made

me violently ill, so I stopped taking it, and I

felt better and

My dh is bi-polar, and went through making 125,000. a

year to losing his job due to his illness (well,

the errors he made

due to his illness) and was on disability for 3

months. He then found

a job making 1/3 of his previous salary and we had

to move and give

up one of our cars.

Well, to make a long sad story short, we went through

being homeless for 2 months while I was pg with my

dd and my dh

started drinking as well.

It has been a long hard road to get back on our feet,

but we made it and our children are well adjusted.

I think alot of

the stress finally got to me and manifested

through my health.

My dh is doing well now, making a better income (not

near what it was before, but we have also learned

to live within our

means). He is on good meds to control his

depression, and we have 2

cars again.)

He has been an incredible source of strength and

frustration for me. Strange, but true.;o)