Lupus is a disease that many don't understand. My twin brother saved me, because he was diagnosed before me. He lost his battle way to soon. Lupus is rougher on men than women. At the time he started having so many health issues, his health got way out of control. But he didn't give up. I love him & still miss him daily. But his battle made a big difference & still does. Tomorrow the 19th will be my birthday & his birthday will be the 20th. I was born 5 minutes before midnight & he was born 5 minutes after.
Encourage people to go online & read about SLE/lupus. There is so much information available now than there was in the early 80's.
God Bless all of you & your family's for what you are going through. But love & support can help you with your battles.
NEVER give up & NEVER surrender 💐💝💐

My Lord is my rock. My husband of 48 years is my rock. He is the one that reminds me, when I get depressed over lupus and all the changes it has created in me, that I didn't choose to have lupus....that choice was not mine to make...but how I deal with it is my choice...so when the fatigue and depression is bad I lean on him until it passes...he constantly reminds me to enjoy every minute of the "good days" and just do what I can to make it through the bad days...so on those days I usually rest, read, watch tv, study and pray....I am blessed in so many ways....and I believe there is a lesson and a message from God in this somewhere....although I have always been a Christian and had great faith in Him, like so many others for many years I got caught up in raising kids and working full time and didn't spend as much time with Him and in His word as I should have...since I got sick and lupus slowed me down I have found I spend much more time with Him and in His word....it gives me peace and comfort and for that I am thankful. Love, hugs and blessings to all

It can affect your relationship positively and negatively. Positively by allowing yourself to be who you are no matter what & your significant other to accept that. Or negatively by not allowing yourself to accept who you are, because if you don't accept yourself then you allow others not to. Any relationship starts off by you accepting self first...LUPUS doesn't define US it just makes US STRONGER! With that said OUR relationships starts with US because we're the ones living with this disease & we're LOVE...because we FIGHT for life DAILY!

What relationships? My husband is very sympathetic and supportive, and I am so lucky to have him. The rest of the family just stays away. Friends have dropped away since I am unable to do much most of the time. Having lupus ain't for sissies.

My marriage has always. We will stay together no matter what happens. So when my mom started to feel lonely back in Hawaii, we moved her california to be near us. She had her many illnesses n we took care of her. My husband was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003. So we dealt with this, taking care of my mom, n of course my kids. So here I was with all this stress but things gotta be done so I did it. We managed to get through mg husbands lung cancer....they took 2 lobes of hid right lung along with a few ribs. But be was alive....soon after his surgery.... I got a letter stating my dad was ill on Maui n soneone from the family needed to go there to settle some paper work in court...sigh....so here we go....my husband who still had staples in his incision n me. Get on the plane to go see my dad in maui. I hadn't seen bum in years n boy was I surprised. He had really aged ....dementia.... And all kinds of problems. He remembered me for brief moments. But at least I was able to see him. We got all the paperwork done n visited with my dad for a few days n then returned to California to recuperate. There were a lot of good n bad times while my husband healed. We got through it. Then I started getting pains n couldn't get my opened to get outta bed. I was at the drs. every week. They couldnt figure out whataas wrong with me. So now my husband has taken over my mom because I was falling apart. They took my gall bladder out. Then they thought it was related to my uterus. So they a procedure on that. Oh no that didnt work so now we have to take ur uterus out. By now I was thinking, what r they gonna try n get next. I'm running outta organs here. Well finally a PA saw me and saw some of my symptoms show themselves n she said "I am going to test u for lupus". She tested me twice and Ta da....i have lupus. So now we have my mom, who my husband is now helping because he cant work. N he is taking care of his wife.All is doing ok...we had it down ....who would pick up the kids and taxi them around....what o would get my mom n run her errands...then my mom passed away at 87 years old. It was not good time for us but we pulled together n took her back home to hawaii. That was in sept 2008.My god mother who was my moms sister passed away the year after.Not too long after that my husbands sister passed away. We had been put through a very emtional wringer.
Then Boom my husband has cancer in his larynx. Another big cut from ear to ear to remove his larynx. To top ot off it was happening in the middle of our move to vegas. We were going back n forth from vegas to USC KECK HOSPITAL for 4 months. So now I will tell u when ne of us gets sick in our family our support is 100% . thats always been our way......we all take care of each other.