YOU BET YOU ARE STILL MY DOOFUS !!

[Guest guest]

You bet you are still my Doofus!!

And I know that you will learn to come to a place where you will make Peace with "THE WOLF"..... He can be a very bad wolf ......and I took me a long time to get over being very angry .......I will never like him, I will alway wish for the "old me " back.....I think a lot of grieving had to take place before I could even begin to find some Peace......You will get there , it just takes time.

From: Marie s

To: LUPIES

Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2004 4:46 PM

Subject: Re: TO DOOFUS FROM LINDA C,

,

I used to be a telephone operator in a call center here in town. I hated that job but I liked it too because it paid the bills and it was just something to do while I was going through college. I will learn to cheer up more because this is an illness that I'm going to have as long as I'm living. Might as well get used to it, right?

You're right that this is a great group that we're a part of and I'm glad that I've found it. I really needed support in the earlier months while I was new to the SLE diagnosis. There's so much to learn about this disease and I'm still learning. As long as I'm still your Doofus then everything is fine with me. Ha.

-.

Re: TO DOOFUS FROM LINDA C,

Doofus,

Oh you are still my Doofus.......the picture ! I posted with that last Email didn't show up.....it was of a baby bundled up in a blanket .....and hanging from a hook.....That's why I said ,"hang in there,Baby!"

What kind of work did you do? And are you able to work? If not, are you able to qualify for Disability?

I understand how losing your job can make you feel worthless.....we get so caught up in our job, especially if it is one we love to do ......that we tend to Identify ourselves in terms of our occupation.So in losing your job.....you are in essence losing a part of yourself.

I lost a job that I loved ....I was a Field Service Copier Technician for Konika ..... I was proud of the fact that I was the only female tech. in the Dallas Branch.....and managed to snag the title of "Tech. Of The Month" a couple of times.....competing against a group of 20 young men.!......I always took the Phrase ,"you can't do that, You're a Woman !" as a challange......and set out to prove it wrong......

I was layed off that job because of too many sick days .....I was suffering from Diveriticulitis at the time, and the heavy lifting, pushing, and pulling got to me.(Those Tool Kits alone weigh about 25lbs.)

Anyway.....I went into a deep depression ......I was no longer the" the best Technician".....I was a nobody.

So I got myself together,and at the age of 45 yrs. went back to school to be a Graphic Artist. I got a job starting a! s a past e up artist at a Small Family owned company, and in 2 yrs. I was the Manager of the Production Dept. there.

I had to quit that job because the syptoms of Lupus started to creep in....I didn't know what was wrong at the time.....but started suffering from terrible Brain Fog......people would be talking to me .....I could see their mouths moving.....and could hear a noise.....but it was like when The characters in a Charie Brown cartoon hear the voices of the Grownups......just noise that made no sense!

I could no longer put together a job assignment for the people who worked for me.And would have periods of Blindness. I quit before I got fired.......JUST.....and applied for SSD for Major Depression.....I thought I was just losing my mind. I got the SSD, and a couple of years later was Diagnosed with Lupus.

SO! I certainly can understand how being out of work can make you question your self worth.

Just remember that you are a member of a wonderful group of people Called "LUPIES"....and that alone makes you special.

"The LUPIES Store" Come check out our store...http://www.cafepress.com/thelupies"The LUPIES Web Page"http://www.itzarion.com/lupusgroup.html"The LUPIES online photo albums!" Check out what your fellow Lupies look like...http://www.picturetrail.com/lupies