Hmmm... The name of this post sounds pretty serious. But actually, it is a pretty big deal. I have been feeling really fatigued for months, years really, off and on. I have always thought it had to do with low iron stores (because I was diagnosed with anemia few years ago at one point) or hormones (because they can be blamed for everything, right?).
Well, when I got to December, I was feeling extremely exhausted. I kept up on what I had to do for the most part; cleaning the house, making meals, exercising, but I couldn't do much else. And I just kept getting more tired. I was also becoming very depressed about it because I felt like I couldn't do anything well or at all...felt like throwing in the towel. I even seriously considered putting my children in school (gasp!). I found a new doctor and had blood drawn. It took a while to come back, especially because I had multiple blood draws, but a few weeks ago, I got the call. I have Lupus.
Yikers! Have you ever seen the pictures of people with Lupus on the Internet? Really, YIKES! And I don't look like that, and I refuse to. One of my friends was surprised when I told her of my diagnosis because she sees me as a "picture of health". Those of you who know me well, know that I strive to be strong and healthy. I avoid most processed food, fast food, junk food, you get it. I exercise regularly, keep my weight in check, and eat a lot of whole grains, organic meats, fruits and vegetables. I will admit that I don't always eat enough of the green stuff...and I have had an evening ice cream habit since I was pregnant with Paige- so that's almost 3000 bowls of ice cream, mostly the good stuff, like Tillamook.
How did I get the disease? We don't know. Most likely it was the result of a virus. I believe that it could also have been caused by food allergies. You're probably wondering about my other symptoms- You've noticed that I don't have the "mask" of Lupus, but I do have problems with water retention and struggled last summer because I would get little bumps on my skin when exposed to the sun. Itchy yucky bumps.
What am I going to do with it? Well, that is a GOOD question if I do say so myself! Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune disease. If I can eliminate the inflammation, I believe that I will feel better. I have read about people who have changed their diets and now are lupus-free (even though the medical community will tell you it is an incurable disease).
I have had a food allergy panel taken and found out that I have problems with a number of foods. For the next year at least, I will not have dairy, eggs, bananas, broccoli, asparagus, sugar, yeast or any of the nightshade vegetables that cause inflammation (tomatoes and all kinds of peppers). I will eat a lot of fish and leafy greens because they are highly anti-inflammatory. It may seem like I am a very picky eater but you know I'm not picky! In fact, I love food and I am determined to come up with some awesome recipes to share!
This is going to be difficult, I know. But I am SO ready to feel good again! Right now I am on a 24 day detox program given to me by my doctor, then I'll be following my diet to a "T". My plan is to feel great and have my blood tested in a year. My hope is that my blood results will come back with a negative diagnosis then. 1 day almost down, 364 days to go...
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4 comments:
Oh My Goodness! I didn't realize you were feeling so horrible. I know you were tired but didn't realize it was something so big. I am so sorry to hear of your diagnoses. Any "disease" people are diagnoses with is like this is not good. But you seem to have taken the disease by the horns and are making this a positive change in your life. What a great example to your children and everyone else. Lupus does sound horrible. Is there a good website you have that can educate people? I would love to learn more. Searching for things like this on the internet can be more scary than the disease itself sometimes.
You are amazing sweetheart! I will do anything I can to help you reach your goal of regaining great health again.
Love you more than anything.
Mom
Christi, It was just so hard to explain... I was just soooo tired. Everyone kept telling me, "Oh, you're a mom of 3, of course you're tired." So, I just kind of kept puting along, tired. But then I got to the point in December where I felt like I would just drop.
I won't lie. When I got the diagnosis, I kind of freaked. Being a "healthy" person, I had a hard time being told that I had a disease and kind of felt like jumping out of my skin.
I don't know of a website that I recommend, but when I did my research, I would type in "natural cures for lupus" or "lupus diet" or "anti-inflammatory diet for lupus". I found that there are people who have recovered and that is really hopeful. I don't look at all the bad stuff, like what "could" happen- To me, that's like reading, "What to expect when you're expecting" when you're pregnant. That is a horrible, fear causing book.
But I feel like having a diagnosis will help me overcome this. It's going to be difficult, but I am forcing myself to look at the good in it. My plan is to heal myself and improve the health of my family as well. I might even write a book. I'm pretty determined. :)
And thank you Mom! I love you too!
Wow, not expecting to hear that! I'm sorry! BUT, I'm also glad you have a diagnosis, and you can do what you need to do now. I have no doubt that you'll be able to get on top of this and stay on top! My college roomie had lupus, and was able to get it/keep it under control. We'll be praying for you! And we're very excited to see you in a MONTH!
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