Lupus & It's Affect on the Family

In my personal experience with Lupus, I dealt first hand with the disease by watching my mother pass and my little niece mother continue to live with it. My mother began to have a diagnosis of Lupus in her early fifties. She use to always complain about hurting and feeling sharp pains throughout her body. There would be times where she could not get out of the bed because she was tired and hurting. It got so bad with her that her entire body shut down little by little. She got to a point to where she started to fall in walking; her legs were giving out on her. In her last days with Lupus, she stop walking, eating, moving, talking or anything. She shut down completely. It was painful watching her waste away as her immune system and bodily organs went one by one. Yes, it was very tragic.

My little niece mom has been diagnosed with lupus every since the age of twelve. Her parents were told she would be dead by thirteen but God has her still here. My little niece talked about her mother and how seeing her with the disease makes her feel. My little niece mother was able to have her without the disease affecting her; although, she has to have constant blood test to make sure she doesn't care a strand of the disease. My little niece states as she watches her mother body deteriorate, along with having to have all of those different surgeries to replace organs that fail, it's heavy on her mind. As a twelve year old herself now, she states people looks at her mom funny because she is only thirty-five but look much older. She has the worst case of Lupus there is. She drains from her ears and her skin is so badly burned that it is scary to look at her. All of her teeth have fallen out of her mouth, her hair is very thin and she is so frail but she continues to live.

My little niece mother inspires me with the positive personality she still has even though she face death and has been so affected with this disease.

Recently my brother, whom she use to date was diagnosed with cancer and she spent the entire week with him making sure he was ok. I tell you, her strength is beyond strong. She encourages me to face the small issues I have as if they do not exist. Lupus is a disease that is not chosen by the individual but the disease chooses who it wants to affect. I understand there is no cure for this disease and nobody knows how it develops.

Hopefully, we can find a cure and rivet this disease in a downward motion so that it will not continue to sneak and take lives.