[Mom2BabyNatalie]

Morning everyone <<big hugs>>

Thanks all for the prayers... please keep them coming!

I'm having a pretty good day today! YAY!

So here's the story..... (I'm going to copy and paste an email I sent just to save myself having to retype all this junk...)

Ever since last month when Natalie passed and I broke out in that horrible case of "hives".... I've been feelin' kinda' sickly...

Of course, I attributed it to stress and just the overwhelming situation...

A couple of weeks ago, the "hives" came back... worse than ever.... along with just a general overall "yuckiness".... soooo.... I've been in and out of the ER... doc's and hospital for labs.... and evidently I have an autoimmune disease.... both forms of discoid and systemic lupus erythematosus... "Lupus".

It's been just awful but hopefully they will be able to get together eventually and come to some resolve for treatment and get me back on a healthy track...

Right now they say I'm exhibiting all the "classic" symptoms.... extreme fatigue, this ridiculous "rash" / lesions which cover every inch of my body on most days.... (today is a good one, no rash!!) - - I'm on prednisone and vistaril for the skin lesions.... I've had the "iconic butterfly rash".... the nausea / vomiting and heartburn have been the worst... they have me on zophran, prilosec and zantac for that.... unexplained fever / chills... blisters in the mouth.... just the "pure blah's!!".

Constant muscle and joint pain (which until now, I've attributed to my auto accident back in March) - they've prescribed percocet, naproxen and ibuprofen for that- - - hair loss (in CLUMPS!!! ACK!!) - - headaches (like migraines, but not) for which they give me imitrex and lyrica... and the scariest part, intestinal bleeding....

The last mad dash to the ER on the 28th left me plum exhausted!! But the morphine and zophran finally kicked in and took the edge off!!

I have evidently acquired a new case of "photosensitivity" and can no longer go outside in the sun without being fully covered from head to toe - - long sleeves, pants and sunglasses - since the natural sunlight triggers a "flare" in the rash / skin lesions.... ::sigh::

My potassium and calcium are down.... glucose is up.... still waiting on RH levels to come back....

They're sending me to three different specialists to treat symptoms ... all over at the OU medical center, thankfully.... (my "one stop shop", haha!) ... I'll see a Rheumatologist, Dermatologist and GI specialist ..... I have to have a colonoscopy (yuck) to determine the source of the intestinal bleeding.... they say that part could be something as common as ulcers stemming from the medications I'm on.... so we'll see.... just waiting for appointments and procedure scheduling .... could take up to a month they say...

I guess the main thing is to determine what part(s) of my body my own system is attacking.... as long as it's not involving the major organs, I think I'll do alright....

IF these things are involved, they say they have a positive response with different chemotherapy treatments.... ::::grrrrrrrrr::::

But all in all, I suppose if one HAS to "get a disease".... this is a "better" one to get... ::shrug:: Or so I'm told....

My girls keep me busy... and between them and the skin-kids, I have no choice but to get up out of bed everyday... and I'm thankful for that!

We're all just chuggin' along and takin' things day by day....

I have a lot of catching up to do with post reading here on YT but hope all of you are doing well and your babies are thriving!!

Cessy, Gracie and Mia have been havin' a ball with their new sister Amelia - who has settled in beautifully and made herself right at home!!

Gracie and Mia are both in heat!! ACK!!! So it's been a race to keep up with the wash around here!! haha...

Little Gloria is scheduled to fly in from Michigan tonight - though the bad weather over there may delay her a few more days... we're keeping our fingers crossed!!

Thank you all once more for sending up those extra prayers for us!! Every one is precious and I've no doubt that God hears... and He heals... all will be well!!

Much love and snuggles from me and the furfaces!!

Dena