"Everyday my mind seems to be running at 100mph, it goes and it goes and it goes. The only time it actually slows down is when it's time for my body to take it's daily rest. Well, sometimes."
There are so many events that have occurred in my life, whether it be good or bad, I've learned from that has made me a stronger person. One thing I've really learned, is that everything happens for a reason. Although, I do admit, I wish some of those things didn't have to happen.
2009, I thought, was to be the best year for me. There was an abundant amount of things occurring in my life that were probably the greatest that could ever happen. I was in beauty school, extremely confident in myself, finally losing weight, finally mended my broken heart, becoming a more responsible mother, thinking positive about my future, and not letting anyone or anything get in the way of all that. Words can't even express the vast number of amazing emotions that were growing in my mind. Everything seemed to be perfect.
June 11, 2009. I was diagnosed with a disease called Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or known as lupus. It is an incurable chronic inflammatory autoimmune connective tissue disease that most often affects the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. In my case, it affects all. The first noticeable symptoms gave me excruciating pain, causing me to be unable to get out of bed. From that day on it felt as if the incredible, positive New Me that I was creating, shattered like broken glass.
During this time there were so many thoughts going through my head, mainly negative ones. I then saw myself going into an automatic state of depression. Due to my disease and the inability it caused, I had to drop out of beauty school, lost a bit of my social life, and stopped going to the gym. Everything that seemed to be going so well for me had to be dropped in an instant. I just had no idea how to react to everything that was happening.
I have attended monthly doctor appointments, where they evaluate the state of my condition and also prescribe me different types drugs. One drug was called Prednisone and the other Plaquenil. Yes, the medicine did provide me with the effects of vanishing pain and inflammation, but it was the other side effects that made me re-think taking them. Short term side effects for Prednisone were insomnia, moon shaped face, mania, and weight gain. Long term side effects for Prednisone seemed to be even worse, osteoporosis, type II diabetes, and depression upon withdrawal. For Plaquenil side effects were loss of eyesight due to high toxicity levels brought upon taking the drug. Awful right? I thought to myself not only is it horrible knowing I have a disease, but it's also horrible knowing I have to ingest these disgusting drugs into my body.
Months later, my friends mother referred me to a microbiologist. She specialized in looking at the blood and seeing what you can do to help your body heal itself naturally. I was so glad to know that I had another option. She put me on a strictly vegan diet and gave me many supplements to take daily. It's been about three months since I've been on this diet and lemme tell you, I've never felt better. I am now off the Prednisone but still taking a very low dose of the Plaquenil.
It's been exactly six months since I have been diagnosed and I am now learning to accept that this is something I have to live with and my life may have to change a little because of it. I'm okay with the changes I have to make in my life. Okay with having to be more careful with what I eat than others, okay with having to cut things down to a minimum due to fatigue, okay with having to pay more attention to my health because in the end it's all for the better. I am now in school again, back on my feet, trying to be more social again, and trying to be more positive. Remember how I said I believe everything happens for a reason? Well, when one is diagnosed with lupus it is known to cut the chances of reproduction sometimes making it very difficult to have children. I had Adelah Maree before I was diagnosed with this disease. To me, that just shows God already new what was going to happen and He wanted to give this great blessing (Adelah) to me before it happened. Having more faith in my life brings me to hope and pray and believe that a miracle is possible. That incredible New Me that was once there seems to be reconstructing itself slowly. Slowly, but surely.
There are so many events that have occurred in my life, whether it be good or bad, I've learned from that has made me a stronger person. One thing I've really learned, is that everything happens for a reason. Although, I do admit, I wish some of those things didn't have to happen.
2009, I thought, was to be the best year for me. There was an abundant amount of things occurring in my life that were probably the greatest that could ever happen. I was in beauty school, extremely confident in myself, finally losing weight, finally mended my broken heart, becoming a more responsible mother, thinking positive about my future, and not letting anyone or anything get in the way of all that. Words can't even express the vast number of amazing emotions that were growing in my mind. Everything seemed to be perfect.
June 11, 2009. I was diagnosed with a disease called Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or known as lupus. It is an incurable chronic inflammatory autoimmune connective tissue disease that most often affects the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. In my case, it affects all. The first noticeable symptoms gave me excruciating pain, causing me to be unable to get out of bed. From that day on it felt as if the incredible, positive New Me that I was creating, shattered like broken glass.
During this time there were so many thoughts going through my head, mainly negative ones. I then saw myself going into an automatic state of depression. Due to my disease and the inability it caused, I had to drop out of beauty school, lost a bit of my social life, and stopped going to the gym. Everything that seemed to be going so well for me had to be dropped in an instant. I just had no idea how to react to everything that was happening.
I have attended monthly doctor appointments, where they evaluate the state of my condition and also prescribe me different types drugs. One drug was called Prednisone and the other Plaquenil. Yes, the medicine did provide me with the effects of vanishing pain and inflammation, but it was the other side effects that made me re-think taking them. Short term side effects for Prednisone were insomnia, moon shaped face, mania, and weight gain. Long term side effects for Prednisone seemed to be even worse, osteoporosis, type II diabetes, and depression upon withdrawal. For Plaquenil side effects were loss of eyesight due to high toxicity levels brought upon taking the drug. Awful right? I thought to myself not only is it horrible knowing I have a disease, but it's also horrible knowing I have to ingest these disgusting drugs into my body.
Months later, my friends mother referred me to a microbiologist. She specialized in looking at the blood and seeing what you can do to help your body heal itself naturally. I was so glad to know that I had another option. She put me on a strictly vegan diet and gave me many supplements to take daily. It's been about three months since I've been on this diet and lemme tell you, I've never felt better. I am now off the Prednisone but still taking a very low dose of the Plaquenil.
It's been exactly six months since I have been diagnosed and I am now learning to accept that this is something I have to live with and my life may have to change a little because of it. I'm okay with the changes I have to make in my life. Okay with having to be more careful with what I eat than others, okay with having to cut things down to a minimum due to fatigue, okay with having to pay more attention to my health because in the end it's all for the better. I am now in school again, back on my feet, trying to be more social again, and trying to be more positive. Remember how I said I believe everything happens for a reason? Well, when one is diagnosed with lupus it is known to cut the chances of reproduction sometimes making it very difficult to have children. I had Adelah Maree before I was diagnosed with this disease. To me, that just shows God already new what was going to happen and He wanted to give this great blessing (Adelah) to me before it happened. Having more faith in my life brings me to hope and pray and believe that a miracle is possible. That incredible New Me that was once there seems to be reconstructing itself slowly. Slowly, but surely.
