Tag: health

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As A Lupus Warrior Aloe Vera Is My Best Friend During The Summer

It’s that time again of the year when I have to pull out a bottle of Clean + Easy Aloe Vera Gel. The reason for me using it is because of lupus, my skin burn. It’s called Photosensitivity, yes, black people burn to. I say that because my former rheumatologist didn’t think it was possible for how he put it “African American” people can’t burn…smh #ignorant.

Anyway, if I’m outside just for a short time during the summer I start itching, then stinging, then burning like I’m on fire. The only thing that help me when it’s that bad is some assistance getting inside, showering then rubbing my entire body down with Aloe Vera Gel. UV rays are especially intense between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., at higher altitudes, and in or around the snow and the water. Each season my body deal with weather differently. The only season I tend to do well is Spring and the beginning of Fall.

I already had to take two cold showers today to cool my body off because I had to run errands earlier. If you know of anyone that has lupus and is dealing with this same challenge stop by a Sally Beauty Supply  in pick them up a bottle. I promise they would love you for it.

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Health: Lupus Warriors How Do You Prepare For Blood Work

Kicking off my week by doing my regular checkup, lord knows I don’t look forward to this but it’s so needed for the doctors to see how I am doing. How do I prepare for these days? Before leaving the house I make sure I have all the things I’ll need to make the rest of my evening easy. Like my meds next to my bed, a few slush or the frozen strawberry lemonade in the fridge from McDonald’s, my electric blanket turned on, and my favorite candles to help me relax in sleep. It takes a toll on me kinda like when I would do treatments. Because I’m anemic that much blood taken from me and fasting 8hrs before I do get a little weak.

Pray that I am getting better, I don’t feel like I am. Something is active I’m feeling weaker in weaker by the minute. I’ll keep you posted, I promise.

Blood work time

Extremely weak when I left

After the 5 poke we finally got something…then the first  vein blew

I have a total of 3 of theses on my arms

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Vitamin C Does The Skin Good When It Come To Aging

vitamin c

When it comes to skincare, Vitamin C is not just about fresh oranges or a taking a lot of it when you have a bad cold. Skincare companies have found a way to add Vitamin C to products to help with anti-aging. Vitamin C helps to prevent the signs of aging by keeping the skin firm and youthful.It’s incredibly essential for creating and maintaining collagen. Vitamin C is so powerful that it helps to reduce the appearance of brown spots and sun damages. Because Vitamin C is water soluble, our bodies don’t store it which is why daily intake is highly important when using it. Here are 10 skincare items that your face will love. See the skincare products I shared with Connecticut Hearst newspaper here. 

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World Lupus Day Is Over But I’m Not


World Lupus Day really motivated me to be a better advocate for lupus. How can I ask others to help if I don’t bring awareness to the disease. I blog about it but now I’m going to shout on the mountain top. All my tweets & Instagram post will have a hashtag #LetsBeatLupus If I want more research, better meds, more educated doctors then I have to go get it myself.

I also came up with a few ideas that I’m not ready to share yet until I get an attorney but know it will be good for us lupus warriors. 

#LetsBeatLupus

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I’m Having A Lupus Flare And It’s Not GLAM

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!

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Skincare Products To Try Especially For Auto Immune Warriors

Spring is finally upon us, well not 100% up here in Connecticut but I’ll take the little spring we are getting. This year I am hoping for a year of great weather which means a normal life and happy days of being pain free. As you know my life is in the control of the weather, food, stress and exhaustion. So, if I don’t want any lupus flare ups beside those 4 key element and the many meds I take I have to watch what I do to my body as well as put on my body. I’m always looking for the next best thing when it comes to natural skin care.

Beauty Expert IlseRecently, I chatted with Beauty Expert Ilse from Live Learn Luxe  and she shared with me some new natural products to try. As Ilse explained to me it’s not about the words “organic & natural” it’s all about the ingredients found in the products. These words are not friendly to anyone with an auto immune disease; PARABENS, SULFATES, TRICLOSAN, and PHTHALATES. Here are four of Ilse all-star favorite new must have chemical free products I should invest in that would not trigger my lupus.

 

Ilse is not a medical doctor, she’s a friend who gives me guidance when it comes to my skin care needs. As I spring clean my dressing room I’ll be spring cleaning my shelf of old skincare products and bad skincare products. Once I pick up these items, I will have a review for you once I’m done…hang in there my lupus warriors!

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Afraid Of Going Outside After Getting Lyme Disease

Street side of the yard

Many of you know I’m a tough cookie especially when that wrong button is pushed. So it’s probably crazy to hear that I’m afraid of something. Well I am, it’s a ugly little bug (tick) and deer’s. Since moving up here to Connecticut I haven’t had good experience with either of them.Today, in Connecticut the weather is gorgeous and I happen to be off and feeling good to enjoy it. So, I decided to face my fears in go outside in my yard today. I fell in love with my home because of the yard and the lake. But after me and my babies (dogs) got bitten by ticks and getting infected with Lyme disease it’s been hard to come outside during spring and summer time. Both my babies were to old to fight, we lost them both 6 months apart.

Brandy Gomez-Duplessis yard
Favorite Spot In My Yard

I was getting tested regularly now it’s yearly with my next test coming up next month. It’s almost out my body and I pray that next month I hear the words clean build of health from Lyme disease. I’m tough but having Lupus & Lyme disease is hard, I feel like Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie The Revenant getting my ass beat daily by that bear. I just want to have my body back in get back to normal. I have to eventually face my fears in start enjoying my yard again. I let it go by not keeping it up because I really didn’t plan on coming back out here. But I refuse to let a tick scare me off, cuz that sounds crazy, right?

Brandy Lyme Results
My last test April 2015

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Going To The Pulmonologists For Another Treatment On My Lungs

 

This morning I went in to do treatments on my lungs. I’ve been actually feeling better so once I can get my lungs healthy I’ll be almost back to normal. I guess getting that flu shot didn’t hurt because I’ve been exposed to sick people the last few days and nothing happen but a sore throat. Unfortunately that sore throat for one day set me back. My lungs are weaker than it was on my last visit so I really have to make sure I stay away from anyone that is sick. So hard to do when I work around people everyday. My Pulmonologists still has me on prednisone, seem like I’ll be on it next month as well. I hope I don’t get to 200lbs because I’m almost there. Never thought I would weigh that much but if it helps me to get through the day then I’ll take this nasty pill with a smile.
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I Love Using Sexy Hair Soy Touchable Hairspray

 

Hairspray is one of my favorite items to use when getting ready. But after having challenges with my lungs I have to be careful with items I use. I’m so obsessed with soft flirty hair it’s a must that I use hairspray to maintain it. I like using Sexy Hair, Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Touchable Weightless hairspray with argan oil. I’m a southern girl so I live for big hair and if the hairspray can help to control frizz it’s a plus. Great on extensions, weaves and wigs. It will keep the hair shining and won’t dry it out. Pick up your can if your into sexy hair.
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You Don’t Look Sick…Auto Immune Disease

Do I need to be 6ft under in order for me to be consider a sick person. Nowadays when people are sick, non cancerous they look like me. They are fighting everyday living with some type of illness that they have been diagnosed with. If you know someone who have any type of an auto immune disease try to be there for them. Just like you show emotions for a celebrity who is sick and in the hospital the world hashtag and go hard, show that same support for your friend. Instead of suggesting they go out with you in the girls after work offer to maybe have something delivered to them. Maybe get together with friends in skip Starbucks for a week in treat your bestie to a one day maid service or if she has young kids treat her kids to healthy food/snacks or some type of educational entertainment that they can do at home while mommy is not feeling her best. Don’t wait for the person who don’t look sick to be under the grave to finally wanna step up. Real friends show up before the tombstone does.