Today in Connecticut the spring weather is so nasty, it’s 21 degrees and it’s snowing & raining.  This is day two of horrible spring weather so if you know me then you know I’m home having a lupus flare up.

If you just started to follow my blog you will find that I also speak not only about beauty products, glam invites & assignments but I share the ugly side of my life, living with lupus. I’m not sure if you know what lupus is and what it does to my body. I can work through it and for the most part I can put on makeup, do my hair, and put on a fake smile that you will never know that I’m hurting really bad. If anything you will think I’m getting over the flu. But if you know me you can look in my eyes and know today is not a good day. The great thing is doing makeup, and writing beauty articles makes me feel better, it keeps my mind off the pain and challenges.

When the weather is cold /raining this cause me more pain than I can bear. My body seems to require the temperature between 72-78 degrees. If not, then my body is in constant pain day and night. My joints will feel like they were struck with a baseball bat, my body going numb and burning like I’ve been given a shot in the same places over in over and salt water was in the needle. When I’m good because the weather is good I’m a loud, I’m the life of a party. My husband and kids normally have to calm me down because by the end of the day I’m exhausted, lol.

Lupus causes my joints to swell and burn in both hot and cold weather. In the summer I burn like I’m on fire. So I have to stay out of the sun and sunlight which sucks because I luv the beach, the water, and gardening. After going through a flare up it will leave my body needing rest from the pain so I’m exhausted and achy days will follow. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect many different parts of the body like other autoimmune diseases. Lupus occurs when your body’s immune system malfunctions, attacking your tissues and organs causing damage to the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, blood cells, heart, and brain. That sometimes it’s referred to as the “great imitator” because symptoms of lupus often resemble those of other illnesses.

Lupus can cause damage to many parts of the body, potentially leading to the following complications. I placed check marks next to some of the complications I’ve had.

• Kidney failure
• Blood problems, such as anemia (low red blood cell count), bleeding, or clotting √
• High blood pressure √
• Vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) √
• Memory problems √
• Behavior changes or hallucinations
• Seizures
• Stroke
• Heart disease (enlarged heart)  √ or heart attack
• Lung conditions, such as pleurisy (inflammation of the chest cavity lining) or pneumonia √
• Infections √
• Cancer
• Avascular necrosis (death of bone tissue due to a lack of blood supply)

Lupus isn’t contagious the problem is your more contagious to me. Also it isn’t a form of cancer, but having the disease may increase my risk of developing certain cancers.Treatments for lupus and cancer sometimes overlap.Therapies for lupus may include medicines that are also used as cancer chemotherapy drugs. You might even remember that I was going through treatments because nodules were found in my lungs. Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that happens when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Signs and symptoms of lupus may develop slowly or start suddenly. My body slowly starts to shuts down by 6pm that after work it doesn’t allow me to do a lot of partying or having girls night out. I have to plan accordingly if I am going to do any late activities. Everyday it’s like playing cards I don’t know what hands I’m going to be dealt. That’s why I don’t do spontaneous things anymore that I live on a schedule with what I do. I can go from feeling good to felling bad real quick, like in seconds. So, if I say NO don’t take it personal. I need what ever little energy I have left to get home safe.

Some of the common symptoms of lupus that I deal with daily include:

• Fever
• Miagraine
• Fatigue
• Stiffness, swelling, and pain of the joints
• Muscle pain
• Skin lesions that may worsen with sun exposure
• Sensitivity to the sun
• Shortness of breath when walking fast and/or walking up steps
• Chest pain
• Dry eyes
• Fingers and toes turning white or blue during cold or stressful periods
• Hair loss
• Swelling in the legs, wrist, arms, back, and face 
• Swollen glands

That’s enough info that hopefully you have an idea of what I’m going through. Plus, I’m tired…nap time. See ya bye luv you mean it!