Yours Sincerely, Lupus

Nothing else but this…💜

29 and learning to thrive. Life is hard with lupus but I celebrate my birthday every year with gratefulness and thankfulness. Because another year means another year of beating lupus and working towards a life where I can function with lupus 💜

👋 if you are someone who is really really sick and your doctor has given you numerous blood tests without any clear result about what it could be, it might be time to ask them to have your antibodies measured. It’s something that isn’t done often but your body could be telling you that you have an autoimmune illness. Don’t suffer for ages, sometimes it can take many years to be diagnosed with an autoimmune and so many people just suffer in silence and deal with it because the doctors can’t work it out. It took me 6 months to get a diagnosis and apparently that’s a quick diagnosis, but it felt like ages. Don’t just accept it, become your own doctor and ask your GP for further test. You know your body best trust your instincts!!

6 months ago, I was diagnosed with a rare respiratory illness called Tuberculosis. At the time I wasn’t willing to share as it was a complete shock that I had the illness because as a young child I was vaccinated against the illness and the illness rarely effects Australian-born people. Over time, I have slowly shared the diagnosis with my loved ones. Today, I got the all clear that I am fully cured and have made a full recovery! To put into perspective how rare this illness is, in Australia there is approximately 1300 cases reported each year with most cases reported being someone who was born overseas. The Royal Melbourne Hospital have put my diagnosis as a case of bad luck and being immunosuppressed didn’t help my case! Over the last six months, I have taken approximately 1500 tablets to treat the illness (this doesn’t include any changes to my lupus medication) - there has been a lot of frustration, crying, laughing, ups and downs but I got through it.
Thank you to everyone, you know who you are. To those that visited me when I was really sick in hospital and at home, who called me to chat, checked in on me, to those at work who supported my return, the RMH doctors and nurses and to those who took me to my monthly hospital appointments- it has taken a large army people to get me through this and I really appreciate it!
Lupus warriors, whenever it gets hard turn to the people who care for you, it helps you so much get through the tough time! Here to better things and to TB getting lost! 👌Have a celebratory juice for me 🧃

5 weeks into treatment for my respiratory illness and 24 weeks to go 😳 getting stronger and better everyday. Over the last few weeks there have been a lot of reality checks like not being able to exercise as much, not being able to work as much, not being able to freely do what I want and being told that I will not be able to compete for most likely the rest of the year was probably the worst feeling. I have had mixed emotions about it but have also tried looking at the positives of how I am getting better even though I still have to take 18 tablets a day (at least it ain’t 22 😂). Slowly returning to work, slowly returning to exercise, slowly return to life the way it should be. Trusting the process and actually letting people in to help me which isn’t something I usually do. Thank you to everyone who has message or called or visited, it means more that you will even know and understand. I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life 💜💜💜