The start of a treatment plan:
Cheers to a simple, uncomplicated blog to document my days. The days where I’m creative, the days where I’m singing all day long, the days where I just want to release all my creative energy..and the days where my chronic illness just knocks the life out of me.
I want to document how art brings me to life.
This past month I decided to really get on the ball with my health, I want to do all things I always say I want to do. So I’m putting that little voice that fills me with doubt....in a box and I’m throwing it overboard. I’m done-this is the only body I get. So I want to make it as strong as I could.
When you have a chronic condition like me, at a very young age doctors began to tell me these horrible things that might happen to me as my Lupus would progress & that fear....kept me away from doctors for a while... But I’m about to be 30....
And in a couple of years maybe some babies too.
So I’m at my gynecologist now. Let’s see what this ultra sound says...this is my second appointment at this office. Doctor is bright, insightful & made me feel in good hands. This is just one of the 4 Referrals Ive received so far:
-Pain Management Specialist
This is the timeline & how I made my decision to become healthy again.
March: lockdown, start of the pandemic.
Shortly after the announcement of what was happening in the world. I remember I was with my gfs on our last time out drinking. We came back to my apartment & I had a panic attack.
Because it suddenly dawned on me...the world was infected & the one thing we all need right now is strong immune systems...with Lupus that is what our bodies lack.
June: Locked down at home, painting and singing to fight the anxiety. It was as if the world was falling apart but I felt safe in my little home safe bubble. I never left home & my love would come over to bring me food, medicines etc.
Aug: knowing I haven’t had insurance in a while, I had been researching the types of insurances available so I was ready during the November Open Enrollment to make my choice.
November:Signed up, relieved since I received a tax credit qualifying me for an insurance that I wouldn’t normally be able to afford. This was when I began to feel hope. I’d been ignoring this fear of getting sick...not that I was being reckless. I was being careful but the fear of dying a sudden death if I caught COVID sat heavily on my mind. I finally started to feel that pressure gently rise off my shoulders.
December: Insurance Chosen, it becomes active January 1st.
Now between Jan & Mar I began to make appointments & we all know the medical system by now....it sometimes takes weeks to months. They don’t care how serious you are, get in line & don’t die before your appointment. You better have insurance info because they won’t even look at you without them INSURING their payment.
Now fast forward to today, I’ve seen the following doctors.
1. Primary care , 3 times: (Gave me all the referrals & confirmed my lupus was still active)
2.Orthopedic: (for a degenerated L5 disc in my spine & spinal stenosis) this along with my usual Lupus pain, is brutal.
3. Gynocologist: PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) painful af girls. They want to put me on birth control, but I don’t want to treat it with a pill that will treat it but bring me problems getting pregnant in the future, lets see what the options are. I was once on a low estrogen pill, for the least amount of side effects.
4. Rheumatologist: this is the type of doctor that Treats my lupus, this appointment however was the one that didn’t have any openings until the end of March. I’ll see them in about two weeks so they’ll explain to me where I stand in my Lupus diagnosis. Pray Y’all.
If you are like me and are thinking about getting healthy again, and you are overwhelmed. I’m in the same shoes my love. I’ll be sharing the steps I’m taking in the hopes to motivate you. ❤️
We don’t have anything if we don’t have our health.
