Well it’s finally caught up to me! That’s right, I’ve managed to stress my way into an active flare and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Well, is there ever a really good time? No, but I suppose if its going to happen, it might as well be over my spring break when I have the time to rest and relax as opposed to making it worse with my 14-hour days when I am in school. I will say that I’m not surprised as I was pretty much daring my flare to happen by pushing myself a bit too hard. For some reason, I thought I was immune (no pun intended) to flares since my last one was five years ago.
As I have stated before, lupus is very unpredictable condition. In my case, I was moving along in life, being able to manage my condition with medication, rest and just listening to my body. (That has been the most difficult part that I’ve had to adapt to – stopping instead of pushing through). When a flare hits, it affects each person differently as well. This time around, I got a fever, pain, swelling & stiffness in my joints (neck, hands, hip, knees and ankles), mouth and nose sores and brutal fatigue. In addition, my white blood counts dropped to 2.5 (normal range is 4) making me more susceptible to infection. During a flare, I have between 2-3 hours of productive activity before I need a nap. For someone who is always on the go, it’s a hard concept to grasp and adapt to but it is just another life adjustment that needs to be made. My doctor has put me on a regimen of prednisone for about two months and we’re both hoping this does the trick! I am, however, NOT looking forward to this as prednisone has many unappealing side effects that I’m hoping will spare me since I’ll only be on for a short time (i.e. acne, weight gain, moodiness, etc). I would prefer not to derail “Project Hot Bod” (my attempt at getting fit and toned for Summer – laugh if you must but its my own little program J) as I have started to finally make some progress.
If this has taught me anything, it’s a definite lesson in stress AND time management. There are times that I have been doing way more than I should as a means of testing myself that it was bound to catch up to me sooner or later – at this point I’m just pretty mad at myself. Strangely, this semester is a teeny bit less demanding yet I feel more stressed than in previous semesters. I am awaiting the news as to whether or not I have been accepted to the nursing program. I should be finding out next week but as the date draws closer, it gets more nerve racking thinking about all of the different outcomes and back up plans that have been racing through my mind. Combine that with lack of sleep, working two jobs and studying – what do you get??? A flare! I am thankful that it happened at a time in which I am able to recuperate and am not forced to miss school. It is pretty difficult to make it through the work day but the nap when I get home definitely helps.
The only other positive thing that has come out of this is that I am able to further demonstrate what its like to live with lupus. Mostly, what I can finally show is the impact on day to day life – one day you’re feeling great, the next you can be bed ridden. Even in the midst of a flare, I am still lucky because it isn’t affecting any of my major organs. I am currently being monitored for that but even for as lousy as I feel, I’m just glad it’s not as bad as it could be. Even though it can be an inconvenience, I’m pretty sure I can live with naps, relaxing and Ed catering to my every need (lol - just kidding although he is a TREMENDOUS help!). Moving forward now, I’m definitely going to have to reevaluate my schedule and make sure that I’m taking better care of myself (easier said than done I know). I will definitely make sure to keep you posted on my progress as well as if I was accepted to the nursing program or not. Thanks for taking time to read and I hope you are all able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful sunshine (at least in Wisconsin)! Happy Spring J
Till next time…
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