Lupus

[boligator]

To all my GATOR friends, my youngest daughter has just been diagnosed as having Lupus. If anyone has any advice or knows someone who has this problem and can provide information such as treatments or the best way to combat this disease please let me know. It's a bit scary for my wife and I right now because she is the light of our lives. Thanks and God bless.

Boli...class of '77

[gator7_5]

Man, sorry to hear that. Don't know anything about Lupus and I have no children, but I'll send a prayer your way.

[akaGatorhoops]

I have a friend who has had it as long as I have known her. She seems to live an outwardly normal and healthy life. In fact, I never knew she had any illness and it came up in passing. I know nothing of the illness other than that my friend manages very,very well.

[boligator]

Thanks G7_5.

Boli...

[boligator]

Thanks hoops... I understand that is a manageable disease but we're just a bit concerned right now. We'll beat this I'm sure.

Boli...

[gatorjjh]

One of these should get you started - best wishes to you and your family

Lupus Foundation
http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html


Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lupus/DS00115

[tsagator]

Unfortunately, I know all too much about the disease. As Im sure you know there are 2 types of LUPUS. Without getting too medical, there is an internal type and an external type. My first wife had both according to the DRs. But they also spent years misdiagnosing her before I met her. When we met she appeared as she lead a normal life. Would have never been able to guess she had Lupus. The external can leave the sufferer with some skin rashes and other maladies. I think the word LUPUS is actually Latin for wolf? I think it got its name because of the facial rash some can get and it will resemble a wolf. Not sure, as my wife had rashes but not on her face. The birth of our daughter really took its toll on her body. She was in the hospital for almost a month after the birth. Her body just attacked itself. Being an auto-immune disease, thats what the internal type does. She was treated with high doses of steroids, methotrexate, prednisone and others. When she got really bad they actually did some low dose chemotherapy. Like the other poster said, I know many people that have lived with Lupus and no one would ever know they had it. I think my wife was a special case. It was very tough on her and our families. I pray that your daughter only has the external. Try to keep her as stress free as possible and life can and should be fairly normal. Lower levels of stress seem to help life with Lupus patients. Unfortunately it is one of those diseases that has no known cure. Lupus took the life of my wife in 2005 when my daughter had just turned 5. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to just chat about it. Prayers are with you.

[jdiggy03]

To all my GATOR friends, my youngest daughter has just been diagnosed as having Lupus. If anyone has any advice or knows someone who has this problem and can provide information such as treatments or the best way to combat this disease please let me know. It's a bit scary for my wife and I right now because she is the light of our lives. Thanks and God bless.

Boli...class of '77

Please pm me my my wife has lupus and was diagnosed at 20 she has systemic type..she is also a nurse and has plenty of info about it..she is 33 now and we have 3 beautiful kids ...I am so proud if the way she handles it because she is told so many wrong things by doctors who are considered the best....we live in the ny tristate area and she ha stayed away from steroidal treatment for 12 years now...she will be more than happy to answer all questions...how old is your daughter...it is very manageable...diet stress and working out help a lot...my wife takes hydrochloraqiine. ...don't think I spelled it right

[boligator]

Thanks TS. My daughter apparently has the internal form of Lupus...no skin problems at all right now. She is 18 years old so it is a very stressful time in her life... boyfriend...university coming up...hopefully UF, I know that is a big part of the disease. We will carry on and beat this. I have faith.
So sorry for your loss my friend. May God bless you. I'll be in touch.

Boli....

[boligator]

Thanks Jdiggy. My daughter is 18 and her doctors said she has probably had the condition for at least 3 years. We noticed a few years back that she always seemed to be tired but just thought that it was part of being a teenager. I will definitely PM you tomorrow for advice. By the way, I live in Bogota Colombia so I'm not quite sure that this disease is understood here... great doctors but I need all the advice I can get.
Thanks again...we'll be in touch.
God Bless,
Boli....

[allig8ralli]

prayers boli to ur whole family. stay strong

[boligator]

Thanks allgi8...we'll be strong my friend...WE are GATORS...

Boli...

[g8orbill]

May God Bless you all and give you the strength to deal with the Lupus.