Battling and Trying to "Slay the Dragon" - Lupus and its complications.... Life, Super Bowl Etc...

Well, of course things for me are always complicated. I have already posted about the flu bug, and then I have a Lupus flare with it. I guess since I had both, they really took me down. I have been fighting now for weeks with one or both at a time. I know that I have been over the flu now for at least two weeks, yet I am still in severe aching pain, especially my lower back, and down my legs, plus a severe Lupus headache that decided not to go away, chills, and just the entire gamut of crappy symptoms with a flare. I was trying to hold off going to the doctor thinking I would get it fought off myself, BUT I had to go in yesterday. I was just feeling worse instead of any better, so I went in to see one of the PA's. Dammit I actually have an appt with my doctor next week, but they moved it from Monday to Wednesday and with it a weekend, I did not want to take a chance of being worse. Well, as I kind of suspected, I do have a kidney infection, which explains the severe side, flank, and lower back pain being so bad even with all of my pain meds. Plus the chills, fatigue etc... all go along with that on top of the flare. I kind of thought I may have a kidney stone or stones, and I am still thinking that could be the case, which would cause the more severe pain plus the infection. So, now I am praying that if so, I can pour enough fluids down myself and take the antibiotics and get it flushed out myself. Going to the ER, having to be put on a rapid running IV and them trying to flush it is just a pain in the butt in all ways. Plus they will do a CT to find it or them, and etc and so forth, so I DO NOT want to go there at all. And of course the flare meant a huge shot of Solu-Medrol, plus a course of 14 days of the high powered doses of Prednisone, which suck. I am already having one hell of a time for some reason fighting to keep weight off. I have not had problems since I was about 21, but for some reason, even though I exercise DAILY, plus watch every calorie, and so forth, it seems I am inching up a pound every so often, which sucks, because rather than them coming off, they seem to be sticking to my butt!! I am so depressed about it, and am even going to try the NO Wheat, get rid of the gluten diet thing, or try it for the most part to see if that will help. We are trying to eat earlier in the evening, and also breakfast earlier, stay up a little later, and I am even doing some of my exercising (extra for my regular ones) at night. I am going to talk to my doctor next week, because I know of course the illnesses, and the medications, especially Prednisone are notorious for this issue. But, then yesterday and this morning, I have had the worse case of feeling really shaking, and Jim even could "see" it in me, and feeling a different type of weakness, and with all of the other issues, I am a prime candidate for Diabetes 2. I became "pre-diabetic" several years back, but with all of my watching what I eat and exercise that has never been an issue since then. NOW I fear with the long term prednisone, plus the Lupus, and so forth, that may explain many of my symptoms including the weight issue. So, I faced that this morning and took my blood sugar, and it was well over "normal". NOT serious, but way over normal enough to be considered diabetes if it continued that way. Anyway, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Of all things I DO NOT need anything else to deal with as far as a chronic illness. But, I know me, and I am COMPLICATED as all of my doctors put it.
P.S. a story of mine... included about one of my serious mistakes at 21, that taught me a huge lesson... I hope it helps someone else to try and not make a terrible mistake...


Hope all of you enjoy your weekend, and hope if you are having a Super Bowl party you have a great time.. be careful and please don't drive if you drink... let someone who is not drinking take you where you need to go or stay where you are till the next morning. It is just not worth what could happen.... I know we think we are invincible, especially when we are younger, but hey at 21, I stupidly drove after a couple of drinks, got stopped for a tail light issue, my very first every stop, and they arrested me for "drunk Driving"... I spent 2 YEARS, YES 2 on PROBATION and I had never even has a ticket or been stopped in my life!!! So, it can happen, and now things are much worse, plus I also could have hurt myself or someone doing that, and it taught me a huge lesson!!! I NEVER AGAIN drank and drove!! It only took ONE TIME for me to learn that one... I was scared, humiliated, had to call my ex father in law to bail me out, because I was too upset and embarrassed to call my Dad, then I had to go tell them the next morning... Honestly, Dad was awesome, he did not gripe at me and in fact he went with me to the court in front of the judge, and helped me pay my fine... but he admitted it could have been him in his younger days many times... and as I said, between the scared, the embarrassment, the humiliation, etc... it only took once... so there is my story, the truth, and I am sticking to it.. Happy Weekend to All, Rhia