Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Safronia Fife

The lupus community includes people living with lupus, friends, family and supporters across Georgia. For Lupus Awareness Month, we would like to highlight some of our lupus heroes and champions. 

Safronia Fife

My name is Safronia Fife, and I am a 50 year old Lupus Slayer. I was originally diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in March of 1999. SLE is an autoimmune disease which runs in your blood. My lupus journey started off extremely rough because I was misdiagnosed for almost two years. When my diagnosis of SLE finally came in 1999, most of my vital organs were failing. I was in the hospital for three months fighting for my life. I remember the doctor talking to my mother the first night I was there and telling her if we had a Pastor/Priest that she should call him. I had three code blues that night. During that hospital stay I was put on dialysis, had to have fluid removed from around my heart & lungs, and had numerous blood transfusions. I was scared to say the least.

In the process of being in the hospital and recovering, I lost my home and business and ultimately was homeless, which led to severe depression, and suicidal thoughts. But, praise be to God my story did not stop there! God’s hand on my life and family were there to support me. Not to mention my tenacious 9 year old daughter who refused to let me give up on myself or wallow in self-pity.

After getting with a regular Rheumatologist and getting a medication regime going, my health slowly began to improve. I was still experiencing frequent flare-ups though, and did not know how to gage the lupus attacking my body. In some aspects I was in denial of my lupus diagnosis, and just wanted to be ‘normal’ again. I was ashamed and felt like I was a burden on my family. I decided to move from the area that I grew up in because I did not want people asking me about lupus or what happened to me. I was in a depressive holding pattern and I had to get out of it. I was experiencing severe anxiety, and was still dealing with everything lupus dumped on me which included failing kidneys, debilitating arthritis, inflammation, hair loss, pleurisy, acid reflux, malar (butterfly) rash, insomnia, mouth & nose sores, migraines, constant fever, brain fog, sensitivity to the sun, anemia, muscle spasms, weight gain, blood transfusions, terrible fatigue and a chemical imbalance.

God gave me the strength to persevere through it all, and I learned to deal with the nuisances of SLE. I weaned myself off of pain medication because I did not want to turn into an addict. I made conscious efforts to be present with what was going on in my life and my daughter’s life, and be better than I was the day before or sometimes just the hour before. I stopped eating beef & pork at the recommendation of my doctor, started exercising and got back to work. I then went back to school to finish my undergraduate degree which fell by the wayside when I had gotten sick, and ultimately was able to complete my Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership. I started feeling better about myself and who I was, even with lupus, and that opened the door to lupus advocacy. I began sharing my story with others to help encourage them, which in turn made me feel better too. I gave presentations during May & open enrollment about lupus at work, and I joined a few local support groups where I shared openly about depression due to lupus.

When I was working on my graduate degree, it finally dawned on me that what I felt about myself made a major difference in what I was able to accomplish. Don’t get me wrong, SLE is a daily struggle for me but how I choose to keep it moving despite SLE definitely has to do with how I determine I want to live my life. Despite SLE, I am gainfully employed in Human Resources, which I love, I am a wife, mother, and a Mimi (grandmother). I am an entrepreneur, a published author, a blogger and a mobile notary public. I would tell others with lupus to determine for themselves what life they want to live. Yes, lupus causes us to take a pause sometimes but it’s just another hurdle to be tackled. Push yourself but use wisdom. Your body will let you know when enough is enough. Also, don’t put limits on yourself because of the lupus, look for the work-a-round. It may not always look pretty and I’m not referring to physical attributes, but you can still get out there and live a wonderful life!

Another plus factor has been a great support team. Just last year I met and pledged with the first ever lupus sorority - non-collegiate Greek Lettered Organization (GLO), Lambda Sigma Sigma Lupus Sorority, Inc. which is designated specifically for women with a diagnosis of lupus. My sorority sisters are true advocates for lupus! They are advocating for a cure for lupus while working, running businesses, and being bosses. I am blessed to have these women in my life to compliment the support I get from my loved ones.

I was also blessed when I came into contact with the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) when I was living in TX, but was never healthy enough to be able to attend any of the walks. Since moving to GA, I have been fortunate enough to have my health aligned and have been able to attend various Lupus Awareness events sponsored by LFAGA. I also partook in my 1st lupus walk in Atlanta in 2019. Team Lupus Slayer! Looking forward to many more.

I encourage everyone to get involved with Lupus Advocacy! Whether it be for your own health or the health of those around you. Make a difference. Take the time to be the blessing you want to see in the world (my favorite quote)! To all my fellow Lupies, hang in there and fight the good fight. I might have a diagnosis of lupus, but lupus doesn’t have Me. I will still be kicking (maybe not high) when we get that cure for lupus. I am excited just thinking about it. I Make Lupus Look Good!.

-Safronia Fife