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Denise362
01-25-2007, 01:22 PM
Hi All,
I thought i would introduce myself again as i have not been on the site for a few years now.
My name is Denise and i live in York, North yorkshire. I have been suffering from severe discoid Lupus for about 12 years.
I thought i would share my story with you all. I will try and cut it short as not to bore you.
My dermotoligist drew a red herring for the first two years when i first got the cronic rash. i was living in the north east of England then. I was getting very frustrated as the rash was getting worse. We then moved to another part of the country as my husband was in the forces. I was eventually diagnosed as having severe discoid lupus three years later.
The rash on my face felt like someone had poured a boiling hot kettle of water all over my face. I had no skin on my lips so i could not even kiss my husband or children for about 4 years when i had really bad flares, i also could not eat properly as my lips used to swell up. i also lost alot of my hair. so like some of you i went through all the sniddy remarks and name calling. I was once even asked if someone was stubbing cigarettes out on my face!!!!
After years of cronic pain and discomfort and a massive of amount of tablets, creams injections into scalp nothing at all seemed to work.
I was told by my dermotoligist here that there was another doctor in the next city whom specializes in Lupus would i like to go and see him. i jumped at the chance and explained if i had to go to another country for treatment i would pay for it myself as i was so poorly.
My new dermotoligist still put me on all the same medication i had been on for years, i think that is normal procedure for a new patient.
Anyway after two years he asked me if i would like to go on a clinical trail injection. I discussed it with him in great detail and agrred to it. That was a year and a half ago. This man has changed my life tremendously. my husband was injecting me once a week, my skin is fantastic now i am down to one injection fortnightly.
i now have only 2 little scars on my face and do NOT have to wear makeup for the first time in years. I still have a few bald patches on my head but they are not active at all.
So after all these years i am totally pain free on my face but have now been diagnosed with systemic lupus.
I hope my story is of some inspiration to all you suffering from discoid lupus.
I am trying to get both my dermotoligist to let me have a copy of my photos from years ago when it was bad down to this day and i will post them on here.
Please dont suffer like i did if your medication is not helping.
Many thanks for reading this story.
Hope there is not to many spelling mistakes!!!!!

Denise

Clare.T
01-25-2007, 06:12 PM
Hello Denise

Thank you for your story :) I was fascinated by it and thank you so much for letting us know there has been a happy ending. I can rejoice for you, having had a similar experience myself getting effective treatment at long last, after 26 years in my case, and also what a living nightmare it is being disfigured. People are so mean and cruel.

Not to mention the pain - when my upper lip lesions were starting, it was so swollen and sensitive, split and bleeding I couldn't kiss or be kissed. My daughter was a quite small baby and she would sometimes reach up and grab my face the way babies do. It was all I could do not to scream and tears of pain filled my eyes. Saddening.

Now the £1m question !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What was the injection of ?????? We have absolutely got to know !!!!!!!!!

It would be very interesting to know which dermatologist it was too.

There's nothing like good news.

I hope you'll reply and not go away for 2.5 years again :wink2:

All the best

Clare

Joandublin
01-26-2007, 05:13 PM
Hi Denise:)

Welcome to the site. Im so very pleased to hear about your story:) I certainly look forward to hearing more from you and it would be really interesting to see the before and after photos. I hope you can get them from your dermy:)

In the meantime, thanks for posting and I too hope you stick around:).

Luv n stuff
Joan:rose:

Denise362
02-22-2008, 12:19 PM
Firstly my apoligies for not been on website to reply to yr questions but my PC packed up thankfully Santa was good to me and brought me a new one:)

My dermy has misplaced all my photots so i am unable to post them on here but he is trying to get copies of them so once i have them i will post them on here. SORRY :sad:

My treatment is still going VERY VERY WELL. i am down to 2 injections a month instead of once a week and my DLE is still very much under control. i am feeling fantastic.

About my treatment and where i get it

My miracle man as i call him is at LEEDS GENERAL HOSPITAL and Chapel ALLERTON HOSPITAL his name is Doctor GOODFIELD and he is brilliant. He has changed my life completely after suffering constant pain for 10 years.
The clinical trial injection is called RAPTIVA EFALIZUMAB.
A district nurse came out once a week for three weeks and trained my husband to inject me. You can opt to inject yourself if you feel confident to do that but i am a wimp and opted out of that one:lol:. The injection is used for people with psoriasis but doctor goodfield is trailing it for people with DLE. I was the second woman in the world to try this clinical trail and it has worked for me. Obvisiously i had to report of any side effects the injection has had, as they was only this other woman in Sweden trailing it. The only thing i will say is please persevere with the headaches for the first week once that week is over it is fine. I have had NO other side effects.
The injection gets delivered to your door and you always have a good few weeks supply, Serono ( name of the suppilier ) rings you up when you are due your next delivery. They too are very nice people.
I have now been on the trail for 2 years and doing very well and i think why should people suffer like i did ,when they is treatment out there. So i hope this post is of some use to you all suffering with severe DISCOID.
Take Care to you all and please dont suffer in silence like i did, dig your heels in and demand this treatment.

Denise

taramanda
03-25-2008, 07:24 PM
Thanks.

Lillypad
03-27-2008, 01:58 PM
God bless you Tara, your story brought tears to my eyes, what a lovely person you sound! I hope you can get in touch with Denise and get results from her treatment. Sounds so positive. Light at the end of the tunnel hopefully?

My lowest point 4 years ago was kneeling down in my underwear so my husband could apply cream to the sores all over my back, arms and chest. Where's the dignity in that? However, he did it every day with such love and good grace. Sounds like your man is a good one too and he can see beyond the lesions. I am so interested to hear how you get on and will be thinking of you. Please let us know!!!

My very best wishes to you.


Love,

Frances X