Nope - and Yep

OK, I'm NOT sleeping!

Again, about 3 hours last night. I got up in the middle with a "brainstorm" and had to check the computer. I went right back to bed about 20 minutes later and finally fell asleep for that 3 hours.

Removing the vitamins and supplements has been an interesting experiment so far. I'm very unsteady when walking. I didn't realize how bad I was getting. So, I'm using my cane. It doesn't help a whole lot, but folks are more aware of my being in the area, so they watch for me (solicitously). Right now, that's a good thing.

Other things -

I've noticed the "butterfly rash" on my face even when I'm not overheated or have been exerting myself. So that's a pretty clear indication that the diagnosis is correct.

The joint pain is really a lot worse. My knees - even my good knee - hurt like the Devil!

I seem to be gaining even more weight, but I don't understand How! I'm eating a well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet, and yet the inches increase noticeably. My bathroom scale doesn't show an increase, but my clothes are tighter.

I had another sore in my mouth over the weekend. It healed quickly.

My memory feels much worse. I can remember long-term stuff, but I have no words for it. I have the memories, but no way to convey them - does that make sense? And short term memory is a joke!

And the bruising is back with a vengence! I'm covered with bruises that I don't know how I got them. I take one 81mg aspirin each day in the evening with my meds. It's prescribed. I take no other NSAIDS because they all have such bad side-effects. I barely take a Tylenol when I ache. I'm more likely to take a shower to ease the aches and pains.

I'm also having transitory chest pains. I don't know if I should go to the ER or not. They don't seem related to activity, so I tend to ignore them.

My skin is a total mess. The rash on my face is really bad right now. It got that way during school this summer and it has not cleared, yet. I want to make more of the white willow bark solution to use on my face, but I need more of the bark.

So, yeah, this is what it's like to have Lupus and be undiagnosed. We "know" it's Lupus, OK. We just don't have the blood test results to prove it till after Friday. That's me and my Doc - together, we know.