hello to you all..I am new

[Guest guest]

I am new. My name is . I have had lupus for three years. I

have three young children and I am 40 yrs. old. My children are 4

yrs. old - Emma, 7 yrs, Ashton and 8 yrs, Logan. I have had many ups

and down but this has been a pretty good year. In the beginning, it

all hit me like a ton of bricks. I was a healthy young mother of

two, I delivered my third baby and I got sick, and sicker. One day

I was out in front of the kids elementary school waiting to pick

them up and I just passed out. Subsequently, a trip to the ER

resulted in some wild blood test results. I had absolutly NO

thyroid function, and a sky rocking liver value. It seemed

mysterious to the Dr.'s. but after a year of testing and testing..I

was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and lupus. Not good. At the same

time, my father had Luekemia and passed away. It was a stressful

time which didn't help my health. It was determined that my thyroid

was not functioning at all and was never going to work again. So, I

was really dragging around barely functioning. That is not too good

with having such young children and a new baby. My screwed up

autoimmune system would attack any thyroid medication that was given

to me to help. THe lupus alone caused such fatigue and coupled with

hypothyroidism, I was barely functioning...or living. ANd the

pain...oh my! Lots of pain. My lupus affects my lower extremities

first, they swell and hurt terribly, and then I can barely walk at

times. The it seems to progress to my upper body. My kidneys are

involved ans often times my heart hurts. Once, last year, I was

driving to visit my sister who lives out of town 2 hours away. I

totally lost all my ability to think. I was lucky enough to drive

off the road and call her home and she drove to get me and drove me

all the way back to my home in Fort Worth. I have no memory of how

that all happened. Of course at the time I did not recognize the

symptoms of a flare as well as I do now. I also did not balance my

life (pace it). I would go and go and do and do when I felt good

and then a flare would hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe it was a

form of denial. I didnt want to give up on my old active self.

Well, come to find out, I had Lupus Cerabritis...inflamation around

the brain. IT caused the memory loss, but praise God..no long term

damge. With the loss of thyroid and the constant state of lupus

flares, I was in rotten shape. Dur to thyroid issues and prednisone

for the lupus I gained 65 lbs. to my normally thin frame. I was

sick looking, tired and I think a bit depressed. Finally, I non-

synthetic thyroid med (Armour) that gave me back my energy. I

started to take care of myself better. Early bedtimes, healthy

eating, and learning to cut back on social/volunteer work. I have

put all my energy into my children and husband, and to helping

others when my body will allow. I rely on God daily to help me have

faith and strength..and most of all hope.

I have become active and have lost 50 lbs. by eating right, and

exercising. Yipeee. I feel much better. I have been having spinal

epidural shots to help manage the pain and they have really helped.

I have been very active in my school PTA, I was nominated to be

President of the PTA...but if you can believe, a few folks began to

chit-chat about my lupus and they thought I shouldnt be in that role

since I had this illness. Wow! What a bummer. I felt

discrimination for the first time in my life. THat situation caused

a great deal of problems in our school since just about everyone has

some kind of illness or condition, so folks are now really talking

about disbility awareness. I never thought I had a disability...but

I guess I do. I'm sorry I have rambled on an on but I am just so

happy to be talking to folks who understand this type of living.

THank you for letting me join your group.