4 Years Ago Today

Today was a great day of reflections and counting blessings.  Why, you may ask?  Because 4 years ago today I was officially diagnosed with Systemic Lupus.  As I sit here and think about what those words have done to my life I can't help but be thankful. 

I'm thankful because...

• it brought my husband and I closer than I ever thought we would be - we had been married just over a year and barely 25 years old
• it brought me to a team of very wonderful/smart doctors that monitored my high risk pregnancy so closely that I now have a beautiful, healthy little girl, who holds our hearts in her tiny, chubby little hands
• it allowed me to de-stress and slow down the fast-paced lifestyle we had been living
• it made me realize how precious the ability to just go outside and bask in the sun is and how much I do miss that
• it made me thankful for the days I can walk up a flight of stairs with out my heart racing or being out of breath
• it has allowed me to start saying no and not feel so guilty about it - my health is so dependent on stress and sometimes I have to put that first
• following the previous statement, it has also shown me what an A-MA-ZING support system of family and friends God has blessed me with - they are very understanding of my down times
• and it has brought my life into focus

I don't mind having lupus.  Don't get me wrong, some days are just awful!  I can barely get out of bed, I can barely play around on the floor with my daughter, I can barely stay awake the whole day through, my joints hurt so bad that if my husband tries to hug me I want to cry from the pain.  And on those days, I truly hate having lupus. But luckily those days are, for the most part, few and far between.  I manage very well, unfortunately it is with the help of a lot medication, but until they find a cure, this is the best treatment they have available.  So I gladly take out my pill box twice a day, for a total of 15 pills, and manage my lupus. 

But I really can't complain because I am able to stay at home with my daughter, I have a great doctor who has kept me out of the hospital the past 4 years, and I have been able to share my story with other newly diagnosed lupus patients.  Which I think helps me as much as it seems to help them.  Sharing personal struggles with others who "know" exactly what it's like is a great relief, at least for me.

To end my thankful post, I will leave you with a quote from a guy who has continued to inspire me even since his passing.  Randy Pausch was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in Sept of 2006 (he died in July of 2008).  He decided to spend the remainder of his time educating and raising awareness for this awful disease.  His life story is truly amazing and his outlook on life in general is something I think we could all take a few notes from.  If you haven't watched his "Last Lecture"  here is the link on YouTube.  It's worth it!

My favorite quote from him is this:

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted."

— Randy Pausch (The Last Lecture)

If you want to learn more about this man, here's a great website:

http://www.thelastlecture.com/index.htm