{"id":702,"date":"2016-05-19T13:49:26","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T18:49:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unclefunkysdaughter.com\/blog\/?p=702"},"modified":"2016-05-20T12:30:55","modified_gmt":"2016-05-20T17:30:55","slug":"im-not-my-diagnosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unclefunkysdaughter.com\/chatbox\/2016\/05\/19\/im-not-my-diagnosis\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m Not My Diagnosis"},"content":{"rendered":"

2011 was supposed to be the year I showed up and showed \"May_2016_Altonia\"<\/a>out on life! I was preparing for my 40<\/span>th<\/span> birthday bash when I first began to feel ill. \u00a0During\u00a0that time I was self-diagnosing; I was working 50+ hours per\u00a0week as the Executive Director of Majestic Divas, Inc (a social & charitable organization based in Laurel, MD), all while juggling roles as a mentor, philanthropist, wife, mother, and grandmother. I chalked my condition up to exhaustion \u2013 I figured I simply needed a vacation, and to sleep and eat better. But in Spring 2011, I began to experience shortness of breath, hot flashes, extreme sweating, headaches, fatigue, anemia, gastrointestinal problems, weight gain, and insomnia.<\/span><\/p>\n

As the symptoms began to progress, I found I could not get out of bed. My feet and ankles were swollen and always hurting (I wore 5-6 inch stilettos heels every day). And most importantly (at that time, anyway), my physical appearance began to deteriorate at a frightening pace \u2013 skin rashes and black marks were forming on my forehead and spreading, dreadful dark circles enveloped around my eyes, and the skin on my nose would peel until there wasn\u2019t any left. I felt awful, and my confidence was nonexistent. I\u2019d visited several dermatologists who\u2019d diagnosed me with things like anemia, hyper pigmentation and adult acne.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was trying different remedies. Some worked for a while, and some never worked at all. Growing more and more frustrated and embarrassed by my appearance, I decided to seek the help of a specialist. Looking back, it\u2019s almost funny how I was way more concerned with my skin than I was with the fatigue and swollen ankles. <\/span><\/p>\n

At my first visit at Callender Dermatology, I was seen by the physician assistant. She took pictures of my face, prescribed me a hydrocortisone cream and sent me on my way. I thought to myself, \u201cThat was easy! A $25 co-pay and hydrocortisone, I will be picture perfect in a few weeks, just in time for my birthday photo shoot.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like I\u2019d begin any normal day, I went to CVS hoping to come out with a tube of some magical cream that would clear up my so-called adult acne. The pharmacist informed me that my prescription required authorization. When he called to get authorization, the doctor instructed him not to fill it, and to have me come to the office. \u201cEven better!\u201d I said to myself. \u201cShe is going to give me the good stuff to clear this up.\u201d I made an appointment to see the doctor the next day, never bothering to mention it to my husband or friends. I didn\u2019t think it was anything to be at all concerned about.<\/span><\/p>\n

But as the appointment began, and much to my surprise, Dr. Callender immediately made the suggestion that I get tested for Lupus. She wasn\u2019t clear as to why none of the physicians I\u2019d previously seen ever had tested me. She also believed that I was currently having a flare-up, which was causing the rash and dark circles. I was certainly taken aback by what she said, but I agreed to be tested. I had honestly never heard of Lupus and didn\u2019t have the slightest idea what it was. Dr. Callender handed me a few pamphlets and began to explain things in further detail. I had no idea at the time that I would be in for the fight of my life.\"\"<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

I was officially diagnosed with Systemic Lupus on July 9, 2011.<\/span> Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect virtually any organ of the body. In Lupus, the body’s immune system, which normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive, forming antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission. <\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms vary from person to person, and may come and go. I typically experience: <\/span><\/p>\n