[JULIE GILL]

Hi! Just Found Out That I Have Lupus. I Am 42 And Been Suffering With Raynauds For A Few Years So I Have Been Having Quite A Lot Of Blood Tests, So On My Last Test They Told Me It Is Caused From Lupus. I Was Glad To Have An Answer For All My Other Symptoms Like The Tiredness Etc But Now I Am Starting To Panic A Bit The More I Am Reading About The Disease. I Think My Lupus Is Quite Mild At The Moment And I Am Starting Medication This Week, Am I Likely To Stay Like This For A While Or Does Is Develop Quite Quickly..
Be Grateful For Any Advice Anyone Can Give Me. Xx:

 

[LolaLola]

Hello and Welcome to the Boards.
There is no reason to suppose your Lupus is going to get worse,in fact wen you start medication you will probably improve. This can take a little while though.
Much of the older info. on SLE, say more than 5 years old, is unnecessarily gloomy as the treatments have now improved a lot. Best not to read older stuff.

I hope you are getting good treatment.
x Lola

 

[Katharine]

Hello Julie,

I agree with Lola, don't panic! There is every likelyhood that your lupus will remain mild, especially as the drugs you are being put on (I presume plaquenil?) will work to modify the disease, improve your symptoms and reduce the severity of it.

You have to be aware when reading through these boards that many of the people here are just like yourself, newly diagnosed, or they are not yet diagnosed, or the more severely affected by lupus.

There is every chance that you will be among those who are able to continue life pretty much normally while remaining aware that things like stress and overdoing it may lead to you feeling a lot worse than someone normally would from "just" that. These boards are not necessarily representative of the whole lupus population as most people are so able to get on with life that they just don't have time to be coming on here for a chat :lol:

Feel free to come here any time and ask questions, that's what the boards are for. Plenty of support, advice and friendship to go round

bye for now,
Katharine