Joyce A. - Diagnosed at age 17

My experience with lupus started as a young child. It seems like I always had a medical issue. By the time was in my teenage years, I became more ill going back and forth to the hospital. At age 16 I had to get a vaccine to remain in school and that’s when my life took a turn for the worst. I became very ill, sores were all over my body, I was always tired, I couldn’t go outside afraid that I may catch something else. Which at that time my parent and I didn’t know that was wrong with me. 

Until the summer of the year, I was headed to high school I became very ill, and my parents decided to take me to the hospital. At this time, I was given a medicine that I now know that I’m allergic to and they sent me home. So now I’m taking a medicine that I shouldn’t be taking and it’s making me worse. So, the next few days my parents took me to another hospital in my city. Once getting in the back to a room doctors started drawing blood and getting a urine sample. At this time, I was diagnosed with pneumonia. Still not knowing I had lupus. 

Finally, doctors decide they’re keeping me, and my parents go home and change clothes. Moments later they were back, and I was put on a bed of ice my temperature was really high. Not knowing what was going on but I could remember I couldn’t hear, and my eyesight was leaving. I had to get a blood transfusion. I found out later that they called my parents to inform them that I wouldn’t make it through the night.

It took years to find out my diagnoses but finally I’m recovering. I start going to the doctor every week. I had to give blood and a urine sample every week, for the whole summer before I started high school. I overheard the doctor tell my mother if her kidney continues to have red blood cells in her urine, she can’t start school. Needless to say, I didn’t start high school I ended up on homebound for my first year of high school.

I'm 54 and I’ve had lupus all my life and I would love to live lupus free.