Living with Lupus: Day 73

Logo from this blog.


At Day 73, I'm able to look back to Day 50 and see progress! It is at a sloth's speed, and I'm still housebound, and I still crash, but I don't stay at the bottom of the hole quite as long. The next day I don't start at such a low position either. That is worth celebrating!

 

So what brings joy to the day? Bath bombs and rubber ducks. Special delivery Green Tea Fraps, Matcha Blast Jambas, oatmeal, and sweet tea. Sweet cards and letters. Laughter with friends and family. Netflixing The Office and Kindling books like Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and Martin Luther's Bondage of the Will. Warm soup and fresh flowers. These are a few of my favorite things. :~)

 

Here's a smattering of wisdom from my recent readings:

 

"Satisfaction comes from the richness of experiencing life and sharing the inner experience of life with others." Rachel Naomi Remen

 

"He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost any HOW." Nietzsche

 

"There is only one thing that I dread, not to be worthy of my sufferings." Dostoevski

 

"Suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds meaning." Viktor Frankl

 

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him." John Piper

 

Onward! 



Life with Lupus, Fall 2012

Logo from this blog.

It's been two weeks of a lupus flare, and I thought to post in case it's helpful to another. Of course this only encapsulates my limited experience.

Awakening
The autoimmune disease flare can be awakened by sun exposure. Even with sunscreen, the skin and then internal organs can experience inflammation.

Symptoms
Migraine, flu-like aches, nausea, joint pain, weakness, chills, muscle spasms, rash, darkening of the skin.

Instruction
Bed rest, short walks when able, no sun exposure (including through windows). A general waiting it out. (Medications are limited for me because I've had cancer.)

Low Point
Realizing it can last weeks, months, or years.

Encouragement
Seeing photos online verified it could be so much worse.

What I Miss
Sitting in the sun
Attending Bible Study and Sunday worship
Running to meet friends
Shopping for groceries
Gardening
The gym

What I Gain
Time to read, think, pray, and fill my creative pot. Time to rest.

Lessons Learned 
During the 2 weeks, I've read books and listened to sermons. Here are a few highlights:

* We are not made to be great but to see great. Piper

* The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of its love. Scougal

* We look at the dark, tangled threads of a tapestry of history from beneath. From above we will see the dark threads are woven into beauty. Ten Boom

* Cling to God through the painful humbling of his trying you. Remain cheerful and charitable in frustrating circumstances. Packer

* Return to eidetic perception: observing, apprehending, and devouring like a child. Berne

* Test yourself by questioning to see if there is any ulterior motive in an exchange in order to reveal whether you are playing a game. Stop it, if discovered. Berne

Those are the highlights from the time of quiet. All good stuff to mull over no matter the circumstances.

This is the start of week three, and I do believe I feel some improvement. I hope so. Thanks to everyone for the phone calls, visits, flowers, and prayers. I appreciate them! Onward!