Kristine Marie,she’s my sister.People look up to her.She’s smart,compassionate and she has consistently been a pride of our family. she leads a pleasant life. However her life changed in August 2009 when she woke up and noticed nosebleeding.
They run some blood tests.The day my sister got the results i cried for her.The blood picture was abnormally low.She tried to be strong. her doctor referred us to the hematologist to review the blood samples.It was November the doctor advised immediate blood transfusion and suspected leukemia.Family has been grealty affected. She had undergone a lot of blood transfusions including bone marrow test. after a month of in and out of the hospital. we brought her home. i can see her severe body pains and i try to help her by giving her a massage.
Lupus Warning
Last november 8 one of my sister’s friends dii passed due to Lupus. some of my sister’s friends was asking about her condition.and they told me “oh my God,she might have LUPUS.” i didn’t mind them because my sister is normal.she’s doing her normal activities everyday.she can drive her car,she can cook,she can do errands and stuff.i noticed that she always complain about too much sun exposure. she wasnt able to attend the race for life-a charity event at her church. due to dizzines and fatigue.i was researching about Lupus already.because she would tell me what if i have Lupus na pala? all of the symptoms that she felt we thought it was because of her HYPERTHYROID.but we were wrong.
December 25 Christmas day we brought her to the hospital for a follow up check up.my sister’s diagnosis has been reconsidered and the doctors told her she has LUPUS.i had not heard of lupus before. and i was anxious because i did not know what to expect and what will bring to my sister. a month ago she was diagnosed to have HYPERTHYROIDISM which also made her so weak.she lost weight fast.
I am hoping I could see my sister’s old self: smiling, laughing, playing with her smart kids. I am praying that she could hang on and continue to fight this illness. Frustration and loneliness creep in as we see her deteriorating each day. But we will keep the faith that one day she will be better and will be smiling again.
Lupus, as they say, is a life-long disease, but yes. I believe that there is life after Lupus. Lupus may be a life-long battle but my sister is ready to face it because she is armed and protected by the love of her family, strength from God and the courage within herself. She is ready to take this battle against Lupus again and again because I know She is ready to fight, survive and win given that courage is having the fear of it but sill doing something about it.