Nicole M. - Diagnosed at age 30

I was diagnosed with lupus at about age 30, it was painful at first to the point where I was afraid to wake up in the morning. Then my doctor sent me for a series of blood tests, and my appointments were every three months for about a year or so. With prescribed medication and diet changes, I started doing better and the joint pains disappeared. There was still fatigue and sometimes I just felt a craving for the foods I once ate.

But one with lupus must be disciplined, dedicated, and true to yourself in order to live a full life that is symptom free. I am now 48 years old and have been doing well with diet, medication, and exercises. But recently I started having chest pains and was placed on medication to take each day and half an hour before meals. Also, my face developed rashes in places that I have never experienced before. Prior to this, the rashes would only be on my cheek but now they are on my forehead. My appointments are now twice per year with blood tests to evaluate the progression of the disease.

It is hard to tell others that you have the disease, I feel secure when I do not tell others about it. You can pretend that you do not have lupus once you follow the rules, but overtime even with the best specialist managing your illness you will feel depressed. Like right now letting my guard down and sharing this information, my tears are just flowing uncontrollably. But having a relationship with our creator who reigns supreme makes living with lupus much easier.