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My Lupus Story... Healing or Remission?? Part 2 of 2

5/10/2021

Casting ALL your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
1 PETER 5:7

A New Autoimmune Disease... And Lupus Rears It's Ugly Head!

With just a few blood tests and x-rays I was now diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. The pain in my cervical and lumbar spine was almost unbearable and I wasn't able to take the pain killers.

My legs would also give out and I would fall... my rheumatologist suggested I use a walker so that I would not fall and hurt my spine even more. I was young but I could not even think about more possible pain, so I got a walker.

A New Rheumatologist - A New Treatment Plan

I had a new rheumatologist and he had a plan and seemed to understand everything about my symptoms and he was able to answer all of my questions... He couldn't do any thing about all of them, but just knowing I wasn't losing my mind with so many different symptoms helped me!

He ordered new medications to help with my Lupus (SLE), Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis & Psoriatic Arthritis.

One year later I developed Sjogrens another autoimmune disease that dries out your mouth, nose, throat... etc. I was told to use an over-the-counter medication called Biotene as an oral rinse to help with that and another prescription.

Some Things Never Change...

Some of the medications had side effects... but they do help. How do I know? Well, I stopped them for a while and I my symptoms got worse... so I knew the medications were doing more than I thought.

I've had only two hospitalizations in the past six years, in July 2016 it was for a very bad asthma attack. And in 2018 for a low oxygen level, when I was seeing my primary care doctor.

The doctors in those two hospitalizations just pumped me full of steroids and breathing treatment. I was even sent home with oxygen and told to watch my O2 levels. The steroids on the other hand... gave me the munchies, so my weight was steadily rising.

A Lot Of Things Did Change...

Once I got off the steroids, I was able to do more. I began by
riding my bike... I use to do 20 miles a day. Now I start off slowly every spring and work myself up to approximately 8-10 every other day.

I get frustrated when the symptoms are severe enough that I can't ride. There are times when the fatigue, asthma, and low oxygen leave me resting for several days. However, I've lost 60 pounds and over-all... I am doing much better.

The pain is always there, but the weight loss did help some.
I still have a little more weight to lose and overall I think that has been one of the things that has made a bigger change than even I realized it would do.

Healing or Remission... I BELIEVE!

I believe the Lord heard my original prayer for another child, and the ability to raise my children. Because after I was lifted out of that wheel chair (as told in Part 1) on January 1st, 1978... I conceived another son who was born on October 13, 1978. I was able to raise both my boys and only worked part-time when their dad could care for them.

I was completely free of symptoms until I turned 45 and yes I've been on the medications since then. I've had ups and down and every symptom you can think of with the Lupus (SLE), Psoriatic Arthritis, Sjogrens, RA, OA and asthma. I still am on oxygen when I need it also... but God has taken care of me all the while.

I pray that I will have a full healing or go into remission again still, as I've said, "I can live with the autoimmune diseases. But, I can't live without Jesus. He is everything to me and He helps me through my good days and He helps me when my days go haywire!"

BELOW: I Believe
Don & Judy

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My Lupus Story... Healing or Remission? Part 1 of 2

5/7/2021

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My Lupus Story Began Earlier Than Anyone Realized...

Throughout my childhood I add a ton of allergies, asthma, and a cough that I still have from time to time. As we talked about "Autoimmune Diseases," we mentioned that asthma is an autoimmune disease when associated with allergies. I had many primary care physicians and an allergist but no one could put the entire picture together as an autoimmune disease.

I was treated with allergy medications, an inhaler and cough medicine... but none of those medications worked. I continued throughout my whole life with those symptoms.

My tween years brought on symptoms of great fatigue and getting up for middle school became a real challenge. Then my knee joints began to swell, with warm and redness. The doctors hospitalized me and put me in traction thinking I had "water on my knees." But, that treatment didn't work and eventually my knees went back to normal.

A Full Blown Lupus Flare Up...

I was married in 1975 at the age of 19 and had a baby boy one year later in 1976. The pregnancy went very normal... but a few weeks later I began having entirely new symptoms. I began having cramping and then hemorrhaging rectally.

I was hospitalized for almost a two weeks and diagnosed with "Ulcerative Colitis" which is an autoimmune disease. However, the doctors still really understand the cause, they just treated me with medication.

Still, the symptoms wouldn't stop and after several hospital says, I would up staying in the hospital for one full year. They tested and prodded me for several hours a day and medical students were brought in along with my doctor when he finally realized, I had Lupus (SLE) and autoimmune disease, which we learned was fatal.

I Had A One Year Old Son and The Doctors Said I Was Dying...

I felt depressed and desperate... I had only been married a year and I had a brand new baby boy! I had dreamed of having more children... but it was all slipping through my fingers. My mom and my aunts took care of our son. My husband would visit me in the morning, and then go visit our son until he had to go to work from 3:00 - 11:00pm. This was not our idea of the first married years of our lives.

I hadn't been serving the God I once loved... and my husband was an agnostic. But, my heart began to cry out to the Lord and I rededicated my life to Him. I asked Jesus to come into my life, forgive me of my sin and let me live. I also asked Him, "If you will heal me and give me another child as a playmate for my son, I would make Him my Lord and Savior and would serve Him.

Yet, the doctors sent me home in a wheel chair due to all the pain from my joints, they put me on 140 steroid pills per day and said, "You will never carry another baby, Judy, You are going to die!" They did give me a name of a doctor near by who would care for me until I died.

I Learned To Pray...

I wasn't ready to die... I wanted to stay married and I wanted another child. So I started going back to church to keep my commitment to the Lord. The men would carry me up the steps along with my husband... and then he would go home. He wasn't ready for God to enter his world.

Each Sunday I would invite my husband to go to church with myself and our son, his answer was always "No!" After several months went by, I stopped asking him. I don't know if he was insulted or if he saw my life changing as I grew in my Bible reading and prayer life... but one Sunday he blurted out, "Aren't you going to ask me if I want to go with you?"

What A Difference A Prayer Makes...

It was New Year's Day 1978 when my husband carried me up the stairs to the church in my wheel chair with the help of other church men. I was determined that I would be healed that day... but there was nothing special about that service. I think people were in a hurry to get home for their holiday dinners.

But, I refused to leave... I told the pastor and my husband to go home. I had to meet with Jesus in prayer! They agreed to pray for me... it was just the three of us left in the assembly hall. As they began to pray, I felt each of them place their arms on mine and almost jolt me out of my wheel chair... I was standing on my own when I opened my eyes in astonishment.

I was able to walk for the first time in almost 18 months. I was healed! The three of us were rejoicing when I told them they sure used power in getting me out of that wheel chair... then I was taken back when they told me, "we never lifted you out of your wheel chair!"

I Had Been Touched By My Lord Jesus...

I was so excited I ran out of the church and down those steps. I had my husband take me over to my parents home where our son was. They had taken him when they left the service.

Very excitedly we told them, "God healed me!!" After Sunday Dinner on that particular New Years Day, we went over to the pond where the young people were ice skating... You never saw a happier bunch of teenagers and they knew they had saw a miracle.

I had an appointment the next day with the doctor who was going to take care of me. He was so confused and he thought someone had mixed up the charts. I was supposed to be dying, so he left the room to find 'the right chart!' While he was gone I opened the chart that he left behind... it had my name and all my information... including my terminal illness of Lupus and the life expectancy date. I read the expected to live date, it was: January 1, 1978!

God Is So Good...

He had not only healed me... He answered my prayers and on October 13, 1978 after a normal pregnancy, I delivered another baby boy! My older son would now have a playmate.

I raised my boys as a stay at home mom until they were in school and then I worked part-time so they're dad could watch them on the weekends.

Then Something Went Wrong...

I began having horrific back pain in both my cervical and lumbar spine. I went to the doctors and they did some tests and scans. Eventually, they sent me to a rheumatologist and he diagnosed me with Psoriatic Arthritis, an autoimmune disease.

Before I could accept that, I learned I also had Lupus (SLE). I asked the doctor, "How can this be? I've had no symptoms for 20 or so years!"

He said, "One thing that is important to understand about autoimmune disease is that it is incurable. The condition can go into remission, but it never goes away. Unfortunately, some healthcare practitioners and patients believe this remission is a cure... but I've learned, 'it always rares its ugly head' again and again."

TO BE CONTINUED MONDAY... "WHERE I WENT WRONG!"

BELOW: For Those Tears I Died
Judy

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Living With Lupus... You're Not Alone!

5/5/2021

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For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
ROMANS 8:18

Know You Are Not Alone... Lori's Story

Lori Carter is a national sales manager, a personal health coach, a wife and a mom. Her life was moving a million miles an hour before she was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease, in April of 2013.

Lupus affects as many as 1 in 1000 people, and is caused by the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy cells. But its wide variety of symptoms and manifestations - like inflammation of the kidneys, joints, skin, severe fatigue, headaches, and lung issues - can make it difficult to tell who's sick, or what they're actually suffering from. As Lori explained, "It's a silent, cruel disease. And it is serious. I had no idea that you could die from it."

At the time of her diagnosis, Lori was told that if her symptoms had manifested 10 or 15 years ago, she likely wouldn't have survived. Four years on, she's finally managing her symptoms successfully. She prioritizes self-care by regularly exercising, eating no-processed-food diet, and staying hydrated.

(My own story started in 1975 and by the "Grace of God" I had a doctor who after many hospitalizations realized I had lupus. The only way they could treat me was steroids... I was in the hospital for a year and received IV steroids. When I was finally discharged... I was taking 47 pills a day of steroids. You can read my story tomorrow.)

These days Lori visits the doctor for lab tests to monitor lupus flares every 90 days instead of seven, and is taking three medications instead of 12. But it took time and a remarkable effort to get there.

You can find the rest of Lori's story at:
(Copy and Paste URL & Using the period)

https://www.benaroyaresearch.org/blog/post/living-lupus-lori-carter%E2%80%99s-story#:~:text=Living%20with%20Lupus%3A%20Lori%20Carter%E2%80%99s%20Story.%20Lori%20Carter,by%20the%20immune%20system%20mistakenly%20attacking%20healthy%20cells.

Write Your Own Story...

I would be happy to post your stories right here on my website, throughout the month of May. So please send me your story, you will find that by writing your own story that no one answer is available for all lupus (SLE) patients. That different medications and treatments work for a large variety of women.

I would also encourage mom's who have teen age daughter who have been diagnosed with lupus or any autoimmune disease to write their stories... they need to know they are not alone also!

(Don't worry... if you don't want to use your real name that is perfectly fine... we can use an alias.)

Join the LupusConnect™ Community

LupusConnect™ is an online lupus community where individuals with lupus and their loved ones and/or caregivers can engage with others like them to share experiences. You will find emotional support and discuss practical insights for coping with the daily challenges of the disease.

This is an easy-to-use, online platform that encourages its community members to ask questions, reply to posts, and read about others experiences in a safe and comforting community.

Just go to:
(Copy and paste to URL)

https://www.inspire.com/groups/lupusconnectutm_source=www.lupus.org

Music: He Will Carry You
Don & Judy Weltin

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A Look At Several Lupus Symptoms....

5/4/2021

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A Look At Symptoms...

Lupus is complicated and unpredictable, with a long list of symptoms that can come and go. Many of these symptoms can be the same as in other illnesses. In fact, lupus is sometimes called "the great imitator" because its symptoms may be like those of rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia and others.

Extreme Fatigue

Painful, Stiff or Swollen Joints

Fever

Anemia

Swelling in the feet, legs, hands, and/or around the eyes

Pain in the chest when breathing deeply (pleurisy)

Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose area

Sun or light sensitivity

Hair loss

Abnormal blood clotting

Fingers turning white and/or blue when cold

Mouth or nose ulcers

Changes in your urine

For more information:

You can go to the site listed below, check off your symptoms and submit them to get a copy of them to take to your
doctor. Remember symptoms vary!
Be sure to bring your copy to your doctor so he/she can let you know if they can start you on a treatment regimen...
or if you need to see a Rheumatologist

Go to:

(Click on or Copy and Paste to URL)

https://www.usinlupus.com/basics-of-lupus/common-lupus-symptoms

Lupus flares...

I have lupus flare ups, some last for days and some last a lot longer. I've learned to depend my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now some people ask me, "Why doesn't your Lord heal you?" My answer to that is... lupus has brought me closer to the Lord and has given me such a peace... that if he chooses to heal me that would be fine... but if he doesn't that's fine also!

I can live with lupus... I can't live without Jesus!

Below: Through It All
The Gaithers

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What Are Autoimmune Diseases... Such As Lupus??

5/3/2021

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What Is An Autoimmune Disease?

An autoimmune disease is a condition in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your body. The immune system normally guards against germs like bacteria and viruses. When it senses these foreign invaders, it sends out an army of fighter cells to attack them.

Normally, the immune system can tell the difference between foreign cells and your own cells. In an autoimmune disease, the immune system mistakes part of your body, like your joints or skin, as foreign. It releases proteins called auto-antibodies that attack healthy cells.

Some autoimmune diseases target only one organ. Type 1 diabetes damages the pancreas. Other diseases, like systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affect the whole body.

Why Does the Immunes System Attack the
Body?

Doctors don't know exactly what causes the immune-system to misfire. Yet some people are more likely to get an autoimmune disease than others.

According to a 2014 study, women get autoimmune diseases at a rate of about 2-1 compared to men. (6.4 percent of women -vs- 2.7 percent of men) Often the disease starts during a woman's childbearing years (ages 15 to 55).

Some autoimmune disease are more common in certain ethnic groups. For example, lupus affects more African-American and Hispanic people than Caucasians.

Certain autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis and lupus, run in families. Not every family member will necessarily have the same disease, but they inherit a susceptibility to an autoimmune condition.

Because the incidence of autoimmune disease is rising, researchers suspect environmental factors like infections and exposure to chemicals or solvents might also be involved.

A "Western Diet" is another suspected risk factor for developing an autoimmune disease. Eating high-fat, high-sugar and highly processed foods is thought to be linked to inflammation, which might set off an immune response. However, this hasn't been proven.

A 2015 study focused on another theory called hygiene hypothesis. Because of vaccines and antiseptics, children today aren't exposed to as many germs as they were in the past. The lack of exposure could make their immune system prone to overreact to harmless substances.

Bottom Line...

Researchers don't know exactly what causes autoimmune diseases. Genetics, diet, infections, and exposure to chemicals might be involved.

This part of this article, its information and our Thanks go to:
Medically reviewed by Stacy Sampson, D.O. —
Written by Stephanie Watson — Updated on March 26, 2019

I have a minimum of six diagnosed autoimmune diseases...

1. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)

Although doctors in the 1800s first described lupus as a skin disease because of the rash it commonly produces, the systemic form, which is the most common, actually affects many organs, including the joints, kidneys (I'm in stage 4 kidney disease), brain, and heart (I have congested heart failure).

Joint pain, fatigue, and rashes are among the most common symptoms.

2. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

In rheumatoid arthritis or RA, the immune system attacks the joints. This attack causes redness, warmth, soreness, and stiffness in the joints.

Unlike osteoarthritis, which commonly affects people as they get older, RA can start as early as your 30's or sooner.

3. Psoriasis/Psoriatic arthritis

Skin cells normally grow and then shed when they're no longer needed. Psoriasis causes skin cells to multiply too quickly. The extra cells build up and form inflamed red patches, commonly with silver-white scales of plaque on the skin.

Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop swelling, stiffness, and pain in their joints. This form of disease is called psoriatic arthritis. In my case I suffer with terrible "cervical neck and lumbar spine" pain.

4. Sjögren’s syndrome

This condition attacks the glands that provide lubrication to the eyes and mouth. The hallmark symptoms of sjogren's syndrome are dry eyes and dry mouth, but it may also affect the joints or skin.

5. Osteoarthritis

Although the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are very similar (for example, joint pain and swelling are associated with both conditions), there are some key differences between the two, not only in symptoms but also in the cause.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also know as degenerative joint disease, happens when the smooth cartilage on the joint surface wears out over time. It is generally considered a result of the aging process or overuse of a particular joint. RA on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body's immune system attacks the synovial membrane that lines the joints.

Given how these two diseases develop, the damage from osteoarthritis can take years to develop, but the onset of RA can cause symptoms that worsen over several weeks or months.

6. Allergy Related Asthma

Speaking of allergic and non-allergic asthma, allergic asthma is an autoimmune disease. Whereas non-allergic asthma is not! Allergic asthma secrets some kind of substance. The substance has potential to affect your own immune system reasoning to the serious condition it can become.

It is frequently asked, "Is Asthma is an autoimmune disease?" The answer is definitely YES! Asthma an allergic one, would be the reason for the worst condition countering against your own immune system.
Asthma and autoimmune disease are parallel to its effect. Almost same sort of features can be noticed in both diseases. You need to be aware about the effects of autoimmune disease. And if you have autoimmune disease?

People wonder about my relationship with Jesus...

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
ROMANS 8:18

I have lupus flare ups, some last for days and some last a lot longer. I've learned to depend my Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.

Now, some people ask me, "Why doesn't your Lord heal you?"
My answer to them and you is: Lupus has brought me much closer to the Lord and He has given me such a peace about the diseases. If He chooses to heal me that would be great... but, if He doesn't... that fine also!

All I know is...I can live with lupus... But,
I can't live without Jesus!

BELOW: God Will Make A Way
Don Moen

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Judy A. Weltin
Author

My heart cries out for those who are hurting and those who are lost and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Personal Savior. I want to show you the "Love of Jesus" & give you some skills to "Rise Above" any and all misery you may face on a daily basis.

The "Church in General" has and is... failing this world! We have grown complacent, with a mediocre attitude in our relationship with Christ Jesus!

When Jesus rose from the grave and after He ascended into heaven, He gave us the most powerful support & assistance we need to help us "rise above" our daily problems by giving us His Holy Spirit!

He also gave us "His Holy Word..." which is a blueprint or map of how to live in this world that is so full of pain and sin. Thru Christ Jesus, "His Holy Spirit" and "His Holy Word," we have the power, ability and the authority to change this world and its problems.

We as a church have to "wake up, repent and go back to our first love of Jesus" in order to "Be the church, Jesus Christ intended us to be!" I am so ready for REVIVAL, not just for myself but, in the church also! I want so much more of God and what He has for me and YOU!!!
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Feel free to contact me by using the contact page or emailing me at:
[email protected]
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May God Bless you as you read my blog! May the words help and inspire you to live your life fully in Jesus Christ!

Isaiah 55:6

Welcome to my blog! My prayer is we will all benefit by hearing what God is doing and find JOY in everyday life! Blessings....

My Lupus Story... Healing or Remission?? Part 2 of 2

My Lupus Story... Healing or Remission? Part 1 of 2

Living With Lupus... You're Not Alone!

A Look At Several Lupus Symptoms....

What Are Autoimmune Diseases... Such As Lupus??

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