Good News!!!

[vita_candeo]

After a 2-year medical leave of absence from university due to lupus, I am finally going back! I am officially readmitted!!!!! I still have a bunch of things to do with all the different offices and department (like getting my housing and classes in order), but I'm most of the way there! Woot

Comments

[vita_candeo]

It's an autoimmune disease. Basically my immune system is in overdrive. It is supposed to attack microbes to keep me from getting sick and then calm down until the next cold or virus. Instead, my immune system is always turned on. The problem with my immune system is that it can't tell the difference between microbes that don't belong, and the cells that belong, like my joints. It attacks the tissues that are supposed to be there, which causes inflammation. This leads to low fevers, bruising easily, swollen and painful joints (arthritis), muscle pain and weakness, headaches, back pain, depression, etc. Symptoms are based on which part of my body is being attacked, which can change from day to day. Some days I have trouble walking since my hips are inflamed, other days I have trouble remembering things because I am having brain inflammation. Others days I feel fine.

It's not a contagious or infectious; it's a result of genetics and environmental factors. In my case, my mom has it, as does her mom, and we suspect that my great-grandmother also had it, making me the fourth generation. Most people with lupus have a normal life expectancy.

I am on several different medications, which keep a lot of my symptoms in check. It took a while to figure out the right combination, which is why I had to leave school. Now that I am on the right regimen, I am well enough to go back!!

If you have any questions I would be more than happy to answer them. It's something that I am open about. If I hide it, people don't understand why I can't do something, since it's an "invisible illness". Sometimes people think I am being lazy for using the elevator instead of the stairs, but my hips might be really painful that day making stairs near impossible. And that's why you should never judge someone's actions as lazy unless you know the whole situation. Don't judge a book by it's cover!