Lupus Flare???

Just have my routines check up every quarterly (on Monday) at Specialist Outpatient Clinic. Quite disappointing with my blood test result, WBC and RBC are lower than average and my ESR increased. I know it is quite difficult to explain what is the caused...perhaps due to stress, environmental, infection, etc...

I still remember in mid march (last month) , I felt my joint is killing me (fingers, knee, ankle, elbow...etc..everywhere pain), fatigue, lethargic..then encountered hair loss....really start to feel panic and worrysome. I have suspect my lupus may flare again..Then my fingers start to get swollen and the swollenness goes off and on at times. My daily activities was kind of affected as I can't move freely and steadily (as usual) and I cannot concentrate well. I feel bothersome because of the pain and achyness all over my body!

I was in hestitation to contact my doctor as I know all they can do is to put me back to steriods. It will be a long recovering process and the impact (side effect) for taking steriods. I decided to seek help from my chinese physician.  My condition did improve within the seven days. I started to feel better, no more joint pain, no more lethargic, can carry out my daily activities as per normal. I feel more ease and "normal". See the photo below. I was on steriods when my lupus flare. I put on alot of weight and pimples popped up everywhere in my body plus the "moon face" I encountered (side effect caused by steriods). Just cannot imagine, I was on daily medication for almost 5 years.

My "moon face"



Then, I discussed with my chinese physician two weeks ago to allow me to reduce the medication gradually. She has no objection. But then, I realised it doesn't really seem to work well for me. Start to feel fatigue and unwell again. It's a pain in the ass.....I really feel like..I am a "medicine bottle"...need to fill up with medicine in order to function properly. Without pumping medicine into my system, it cannot function properly. What a haywire and pathetic system! Have to go and visit my chinese physician this weekend again!  

Cheers!

Lupus In Silence

I have lupus (SLE) when I'm 32 years old in May 2006. I'm happy that my lupus has been quiet now. And feel grateful and contented for having a lovely husband and my precious 1 year old baby boy.

I am currently on medication and continues my routine check up at SGH (S'pore General Hospital) occasionally. I started with 20mg prednisolone and 200mg Hdroxychloroquine and had now been tapped to only 200mg Hdroxychloroquine daily. Of course, during this past 2+ years, there will be some up and down of my blood test result and doctor will increase my prednisolone when necessary. Thank Buddha! That now I can completely eliminate the intake of prednisolone which I feel can be harmful to our body if taken over a prolong period of time.

I felt so lost and worry when I was first diagnosed with Lupus. At one stage, I was in depression, frustation and pain and thus, indirectly would throw my frustration at my hubby. I encountered symptoms like high fever, swollen/achy joints and fingers, skin rashes, fatigue, hair loss and fingers turning white/blue when in cold, frequent flu and sinus. Needless to say, some side effects like putting on weight, "moon face" and pimples all over my body occurred when taken 20mg of prednisolone. Also, it can be so frastrating when you can't even move your body as it was aching and in pain everywhere. I feel so handicapped and hated myself so much.

I was once never believe in TCM (Traditonal Chinese Medicine) as I feel the recovery process is too slow and is too expensive to invest in it. However, my sister recommended me to try consulting a "sinsen" (chinese physican) because this sinsen had experience in treating a lupus patient. I decided to give it a try to act as a supplement to boost my body/immune system. I started to consult her in July 2006 (which was two months later when I was first diagnosed with lupus). I consulted her every week for the past two years even during my pregnancy in march 2007. Concurrently, I still continue my prescript medication from my Rheumatologist and frequent visits to my Rheumatologist and obstetricians. And thanks Buddha again! I successfully delivered a healthy baby boy without any complication and luckily my lupus did not flare at that point of time. I am grateful to all the doctors and medical staff that they had well taken care of me.

Right now, whenever I encountered some minors flus or sinus problem, I would prefer to take TCM than western medication. I personally feel that TCM is a type of natural herbs and will has less impact cause to our body. Though the process can be long, it does help to improve and nourish our body system and blood.

My life has changed and I have learned to control my temper and be less worrisome and will try to take things easy as I know "stress, frustrations, depression and unhappiness" somehow would be our enemy to cause lupus to flare.

I started to learn to be healthy by cutting down alchol, watch out my diet and do remember to take your medicine promptly.

I wonder has anyone with lupus do the same like me - "Western medication + Chinese Traditional Medicine"???

I love this quote:

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."