. At the onset, a
woman might not even realize that something is wrong. Symptoms such as fatigue, joint and muscle
pain, painless mouth sores, and slight fever might be attributed to being a
mom. What mom doesn’t feel tired and
have aching muscles? Concern usually
doesn’t occur until she notices an unusual amount of hair loss, skin sores, and
rashes that often take on a butterfly pattern. 
The hair loss
can be caused by both the Lupus disease and the treatments prescribed. Sometimes the hair is shed all over the
head; other times the hair loss is patchy.
The shedding of hair usually stops once the disease is under control; but
the patchy hair loss associated with damaged hair follicles is permanent.
The Mayo Clinic
recommends: using sunscreen, getting plenty of rest, exercising 30 minutes daily,
and eating a diet rich in whole grain, fruits, and vegetables. Sounds like good recommendations for all
of us!
This blog was
inspired after reading the review that Cheryl wrote recently:
“I
love all My-S-Cap items and have been buying from Pat off and on for years. Now
that my Lupus is getting to the severe stage, I’ve lost my hair and these snood
caps and the different types she makes are perfect. You're awesome Pat and I'm
so glad I found you years ago. You own one of my favorite shops and will keep
coming back for more!” - Cheryl
Below is a
email Cheryl sent after she read the blog.
I thought it was important enough to share. Like cancer, Lupus not only plays havoc on
the body, it also tries to rip apart one’s self esteem
“The looking good
part is something I try to do every day, freshen up, put some make up on and
decent clothes but it's all an act during flare up times. During a flare up, I
can barely move because my joints are so red and very swollen. My back is in
pain all the time because the Lupus has already damaged my kidneys. There's 3
types of Lupus. I believe I have is SLE
which is Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and it's the type the damages your
organs, mostly you kidneys, your joints, and even as fatal as you brain and
heart. My kidneys are already close to failing. During a flare up I sleep 2
days straight. Joe has to wake me up, carry me to the potty, get me back to bed
and make sure I drink or I'll get extremely dehydrated. I've been to the hospital for that. Anyway,
let me know if you want pictures of me bald- thank you Lupus, because I can
take whatever pictures you need or help yourself to my album on my facebook
page.”
Cheryl, along with the many other women I've come to know,
are my heroes and keep me humble.
Helpful links: Facebook: Cheryl Remington Kearney www.lupus.org www.my-s-cap.com
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