Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Even when you do every thing right... sometimes things still go wrong.

I take my medications religiously, every day at 7am and 7pm. I began to eat a gluten free diet 3 weeks ago. I started walking and exercising more. I began attending church, Bible Study, and journaling more.

Today, I woke up and I couldn't stand on my own two feet- literally.

It started two days ago. Two days ago I noticed that my left foot was hurting, the same left foot that had plantar fasciitis back in 2019. The same left foot that lead the doctors to discover that I had lupus.

But my only thought was that my shoe inserts were wearing out and I needed to get new ones.

I didn't think that two days later I would be lying on the ground, crying from the pain that radiated up my legs.

Illnesses know no age or gender.

So here I am, once more, using a walker to get around at the old age of 26.

Is anyone else sick and tired of being sick and tired?

How many more times will I have to peel myself off the floor? Fall down 7 times... stand up 8. #SystemicLupus #ChronicIllness #Bipolar1Disorder #Lupus #SLE

Even when you do every thing right... sometimes things still go wrong.

I take my medications religiously, every day at 7am and 7pm. I began to eat a gluten free diet 3 weeks ago. I started walking and exercising more. I began attending church, Bible Study, and journaling more.

Today, I woke up and I couldn't stand on my own two feet- literally.

It started two days ago. Two days ago I noticed that my left foot was hurting, the same left foot that had plantar fasciitis back in 2019. The same left foot that lead the doctors to discover that I had lupus.

But my only thought was that my shoe inserts were wearing out and I needed to get new ones.

I didn't think that two days later I would be lying on the ground, crying from the pain that radiated up my legs.

Illnesses know no age or gender.

So here I am, once more, using a walker to get around at the old age of 26.

Is anyone else sick and tired of being sick and tired?

How many more times will I have to peel myself off the floor? Fall down 7 times... stand up 8. #SystemicLupus #ChronicIllness #Bipolar1Disorder #Lupus #SLE

Even when you do every thing right... sometimes things still go wrong.

I take my medications religiously, every day at 7am and 7pm. I began to eat a gluten free diet 3 weeks ago. I started walking and exercising more. I began attending church, Bible Study, and journaling more.

Today, I woke up and I couldn't stand on my own two feet- literally.

It started two days ago. Two days ago I noticed that my left foot was hurting, the same left foot that had plantar fasciitis back in 2019. The same left foot that lead the doctors to discover that I had lupus.

But my only thought was that my shoe inserts were wearing out and I needed to get new ones.

I didn't think that two days later I would be lying on the ground, crying from the pain that radiated up my legs.

Illnesses know no age or gender.

So here I am, once more, using a walker to get around at the old age of 26.

Is anyone else sick and tired of being sick and tired?

How many more times will I have to peel myself off the floor? Fall down 7 times... stand up 8. #SystemicLupus #ChronicIllness #Bipolar1Disorder #Lupus #SLE

The Process works. I know, I know. Everyone says this and no one REALLY believes it, ya know?

Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves why we don't believe it? Is it because we don't want it to work? Or maybe we're afraid that it WILL work?

Whatever your reasoning is, I want to tell you, that the process works- maybe not all the time, but most of the time.

That's why we have science and doctors and medications and therapy and small groups.

Because it's been proven to work.

In 2019 I lost my ability to walk and it took a toll on my mental illness.

Every atom, every neuron, and every synapse is connected in our body. We are affected by everything around us. So when I lost my ability to walk, my mental health took a nose dive.

I was hanging off the edge of a cliff.

I entered treatment and, man, I prayed harder than I've ever prayed before because you really don't know what you have until it's gone.

I worked that program, and I took every medication shoved down my throat and prayed that it worked. I went to physical therapy twice a week.

It took nearly 6 months... I slowly regained my ability to walk.

The process works and to be honest, I didn't think it would. I didn't think it would work at first because I was so stuck in my way of thinking that I was being punished, that I was stuck in that way.

But consistent medication, therapy, PT, and check-ups are the key to keeping your health in balance. Eventually it becomes like breathing- second nature.

The process SUCKS because it requires change. It requires work. But it produces fruit. I regained my ability to walk, I have so much more energy and I have the gift to be able to tell people that maybe, just maybe- this isn't the end and it DOES get better.

There is redemption. Trust the process.

*Pictured below is when I began losing my ability to walk on my 23rd birthday in 2019. I could only stand for short bursts in a boot.*

#trusttheprocess #Bipolar1Disorder #Lupus #AntiphospholipidSyndrome #APS #SLE

The Process works. I know, I know. Everyone says this and no one REALLY believes it, ya know?

Have we ever stopped to ask ourselves why we don't believe it? Is it because we don't want it to work? Or maybe we're afraid that it WILL work?

Whatever your reasoning is, I want to tell you, that the process works- maybe not all the time, but most of the time.

That's why we have science and doctors and medications and therapy and small groups.

Because it's been proven to work.

In 2019 I lost my ability to walk and it took a toll on my mental illness.

Every atom, every neuron, and every synapse is connected in our body. We are affected by everything around us. So when I lost my ability to walk, my mental health took a nose dive.

I was hanging off the edge of a cliff.

I entered treatment and, man, I prayed harder than I've ever prayed before because you really don't know what you have until it's gone.

I worked that program, and I took every medication shoved down my throat and prayed that it worked. I went to physical therapy twice a week.

It took nearly 6 months... I slowly regained my ability to walk.

The process works and to be honest, I didn't think it would. I didn't think it would work at first because I was so stuck in my way of thinking that I was being punished, that I was stuck in that way.

But consistent medication, therapy, PT, and check-ups are the key to keeping your health in balance. Eventually it becomes like breathing- second nature.

The process SUCKS because it requires change. It requires work. But it produces fruit. I regained my ability to walk, I have so much more energy and I have the gift to be able to tell people that maybe, just maybe- this isn't the end and it DOES get better.

There is redemption. Trust the process.

*Pictured below is when I began losing my ability to walk on my 23rd birthday in 2019. I could only stand for short bursts in a boot.*

#trusttheprocess #Bipolar1Disorder #Lupus #AntiphospholipidSyndrome #APS #SLE