My lupus

[natfab15]

Hello

I have only been on this site for a few days but someone said i should ut my story on this messageboard. I am 19 years old and have just been diagnosed with lupus (SLE) and sticky blood. People in the chat room might know me as natfab15 style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif.

It all started last year when i started to get really bad pains in my left leg. I went to hospital and they told me that i had muscle cramps and to go home and put my leg up on a pillow and rest.
After a week i still had really bad pains but i had to go to the family planning clinic as i had a contraceptive injection. When i was talking to the nurse i told her about ym leg and she said that she wouldent do the injection until i had seen the doctor so the next day i had an emergency appointment with him.

The doctor felt my leg and sent me straight to hospital to be checked where they scanned my leg and said i had DVT. They put my on blood thinning injections and i had a 3 month course of warrafin. the doctors did not know why i ahd DVT as i am so young and hadent gone on any planes so i had a full blood test done.

While this was happening i was sorting out my university. I moved out and went to university and was there for the first term. Near the end of the term though i started to get pains and then i fell off a chair and boke my wrist and had to go home. The pains started to get worst and then i had to have a operation to have my toenail taken off. So i was in quite abit of pain.

Soon i couldent get up off the chair myself without being lifted my mum and stepdad. I needed someone with me all the time. My doctor sent me to to a joints specialist who said that fromt he bloodtest they did for the dvt, they found out i had Lupus.
Then all the stress began as i couldent go back to living in the flat i lived at at uni. My landlord wouldent let me of the rent even though i was ill. I had to take a intersemestor break from uni.

So here i am. Living at home. I am going back to uni in september and luckily i think i am in remmision. I got told the other day that i have sticky blood so if i have a operation, have a baby, or fly il have to go back on the blood thinning injections. I am quite happy though even though it has been a hard couple of months. I am selling cards and cakes for a bootsale for lupus awareness day which is may the tenth.
I try to keep busy and want to get a job style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif. I think i am coping quite well as i only found out about a month ago. I wont let lupus stop me fulfilling my dream to become a teacher, and though it may be hard for me to have children i still want to try, even if its gonna be very painful style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/jump.gif

[lupy lulu]

Good for you sweethart !,
If i can give you any advice it will be "Dont live with lupus" "Have lupus live with you !"
You sound asthough you already have a positive attitudue and it does help.
Good luck in your career.
Sending love and hugs style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hugbetter.gif
Lucy x

[angie1]

Hi Nat,

I agree with Teri. You are stronger than you think. I am now 41 and I began college 6 months after being diagnosed with lupus to become a teacher. I have been a substitute teacher for 7 years and next week I begin my very first full time position. I am really excited but also a little scared. I think you should follow your dream, because this world needs loving people to become teachers. If you ever need help with anything to do with teaching, don't hesitate to send me a message directly. I would be happy to help in any way. Good Luck!

Angie

[sadieone]

Hi Nat

If you were my daughter, and i would be proud to have you as my daughter, I would tell you, that you are a very strong minded young lady. But to always remember,, no one owes you anything in life. Your landlord issues are brought on by circumstance and neither you or the landlord are at fault for you having lupus.. But because of legal situations you (unfortunately) have to pay for a flat that you WILL NOT stay in.

The point i'm trying to make is.. we as lupies are already sick and tired. We dont' need to stress, worry let alone add on to our already stressful, painful lives. I strongly believe that your anger for your landlord may have a lot to do with your lupus dx and is misdirected. I'm not a professional counselor or anything of that sort but this is what i see.

With that being said.. If u just don't sweat the small stuff, (landlord, labtest, etc) you can wake up every morning and give thanks for seeing your families faces once again and being able to breath and enjoy what life is left for us to have. Someone once said,, healthy people die over stressful stuff. You have to understand, with lupus you are not healthy,, so it is important you don't stress over the small stuff.

Get as much information about your disease and your symptoms as u can.. A great deal of information can be found here with the message boards and the chat room.

At 19, I was trying my best to make the best decisions in my life, but ultimately they weren't all the best decisions. I like being 43,, much wiser,, life is easier and i'm not as hard headed as i was even with lupus.

I will pray that you, as bright as you are, will understand my message and will take it to heart. Relax, rest and don't sweat the small stuff,, just take care of nat and take it one day at a time.

This message has been sent with nothing but love.
Sadieone