Surviving LUPUS

I was discussing my eating habits with my doctor because i need to do some major adjustment about it. You see, I never was into eating health. In fact if I could avoid it I would not eat veggies at all. But give me chocolates, chips and coke, I would take it anytime of the day. Now, that changes. Though I still consumed some tiny bit of chocolate every now and then, I have given up on coke and I avoided buying chips from the grocery. My  doctor told me that if I am really craving for chips I could go for unsalted pop corn instead. According to him, pop corn would give me that full feeling that I won’t have even if I consumed a pack of chips.

Last Saturday when I attended the parents teacher’s meeting I realized that I really have to wear my reading glasses. I can’t see the pictures of the kids that were posted on the bulletin board. I have to get close to have a clearer view. And so I searched for my long forgotten glasses and now wearing them I see bigger text. haha. So that’s it! I needed the glasses.

My sister was telling me a story about her office mate who is suffering from a severe kidney disease. She is now on a wheelchair and treatment for her were already called up. She is now just waiting for her final day. My sister was telling me that she would print the picture of the lady. I told her not to because it would just scare. Her answer surprised me. She said that’s what she wants to do that’s why she wanted to print it. So that every time I look at the picture it would remind me to stay away from all the foods that would cause harm to my kidney. haha. That made me feel better. And I thought I was alone in my journey. I was wrong. The road that I am taking right is now is really challenging. But I am holding on. Holding on to the thought that it would let me see the future.

I am experiencing some major joint pains in my feet today. This morning I have a hard time walking and climbing the school bus. Then after going out I decided to take a nap. When I woke up there is an excruciating pain in my left leg. It was so painful that I cannot even step my foot on the floor. I wanted to shout and cry at the same time but I controlled myself because my daughter might get scared. What I did was ignore the pain and started walking. The cramps thankfully did go away. It still left me thinking though. What have cause it? Was it because I am due for another massage. They say that cramps are developed when you are used to massage and missed a session. Or it because I ate beans today. This happens the other day too but I am still praying that it was not what I ate. And lastly it’s just one of those random LUPUS complication. OH well.

I already got my laboratory results : CBC, CREATININE, SPT + SGPT. All are normal except for my RBC and CBC. I was telling the husband that my status is ‘anemic but with high blood pressure’. Odd right? Well, that’s is LUPUS for you. But I am still happy that my kidneys are responding to cellcept and medrol. I hope this will continue. Though I am still not sure if there is still protein leak because the doctor did not asked me for a urinalysis. I just hope I can get rid of the water retention. I have to discuss this with my doctor and get serious with it. I also plan to do some work out in the gym while my little girl have her one hour after school activity. Hope this will help.

I am planning on our menu for the week. And I am having a hard time. Why? Because I need to consider the food that I eat. I don’t want any swelling on my foot nor create further damage to my kidney. I need to monitor what I eat or else I would end up on a worst consider. And I cannot afford that to happen right? It’s really hard that I have to consider my LUPUS as well as the medicine I am taking. Oh, I wish I really can find a solution to this. I know this too shall pass. The question is, what else would I have to endure before it passed? God help me.

When I read somewhere that parsley would really help the kidney, I started making juice out of it. My sister even went to the grocery when I told her about it and bought a bunch. Then last week, I bought another batch and made a juice out of it. Alternating it with buko juice. I am bent on making my kidneys healthy again. But last week I also received a comment here in the blog. It says that parsley irritates the kidney. So I did some research. All I can see are pages that says parsley is good for the kidney. So I am quite confused now. I stumble upon sites where it says that parsley irritates the kidney. What I decided was put aside the parsley first and talk to my rheumatologist. I don’t want to harm my kidney anymore. .

I know most of the time I really am hard headed. Nobody can prevent doing something that I set my mind on. And it does not help that I don’t have someone to tell me not to do it. My husband who unfortunately is not always with me because of work let me do whatever I like. But now, I am thinking I really should discipline myself especially when it comes to what I eat. This past few weeks since I am struggling with bouts of depressions, I ate anything that I fancy. And that includes drinking coke. I just noticed that everytime I drink coke, my feet got swollen. Even in small amounts. That’s why from today onwards (hopefully) I won’t be consuming this beverage. Oh man, discipline and will power!

The husband and I are chatting this afternoon. This is a rare occurrence since he really is always busy with work. Sometimes even during weekends he has to do something and we won’t be able to talk via voice chat. When we were talking he asked me how I was feeling. I know he is worried. I told him I am feeling well but of course I have yet to see how my body is reacting to the new medicine. I have to take laboratory test and should visit my doctor. It’s been two weeks since my scheduled check up and until now I have not shown up in his clinic yet because I am worried of what he has to say. Oh well, no matter how scared I am I know I have to see him and face the reality. I just pray that this too shall pass.

I am always puzzled with my body ever since I got lupus. Just like today. For almost one month now I am limping every morning and I have a hard time walking because of a painful joint in my left foot. No matter how many times I have it massaged, it still is painful. Then this morning I woke up and the pain was gone. I was thinking what I did but the only answer that I can come up was that I switched from prednisone to Medrol. Seems like my body is used to prednisone that it’s not effective anymore. Good thing my doctor have noticed that my body is now retaining liquid because of pred so he told me to used medrol. But man, the medicine is expensive. It cost Php 670 and I am prescribed to take it three times a day. Urgh. And tomorrow I will start the Cellcept treatment. Goodluck to me!