Rosalie DeFilippis
March 14th, 2008
I was diagnosed with lupus in 1997, but I knew I had the disease since I was a child. When I was 13 years old, I was a cheerleader and always suffering pain in my joints. My doctor told me I was using my muscles incorrectly and that I should remain off my feet for a while to see if my condition improved, which it did. Years later, when my knees and ankles began to swell, I was suspected of having rheumatoid arthritis, although never officially diagnosed with the condition. Finally, in 1997, when my symptoms worsened to a point where it became difficult for me to walk, I visited a rheumatologist, who diagnosed me with lupus after some simple blood tests.
At first I was frightened—I thought I was going to die. Fortunately, although I did not know this at the time of diagnosis, my lupus is limited to my joints and has not spread to my organs. I had seen ads on the train for lupus and knew it to be a potentially fatal disease. It is extremely upsetting to think I have something that could potentially kill me, but I tried to make the best of my situation—there are people who are in worse situations than I am. I kept going to work and tried to stay as active as possible.
But against all my efforts, the pain became worse and I began having a difficult time commuting on the trains. There were times when I literally could not hold a bar of soap in my hand long enough to wash my face. Eventually I lost my job as a result. While pain remains part of my daily life, I now take a generic version of Plaquenil for my symptoms, which has helped quite a bit. I’m so grateful for the relief.
My family continues to be my source of strength and hope. My sisters and my mother, who recently passed away, have been very supportive of me. And when I’m having a really bad day, not that I’m a truly religious person, I pray to God and ask Him to keep me in his thoughts. It’s wonderful to know I am not fighting this battle alone.
Leave a Reply