Diagnosis:

Most people lives change pretty significantly their first year of marriage and ours was no different. I remember growing up having my parents stress about medical bills and thinking I never want to have something like that affect my life, my dad passed away from heart failure when I was 19 and my mom had always battled health problems. My parent are amazing people, but as most young adults I wanted to do everything different then they did. Choosing your education and career choice just after your Dad has passed away at 46 years old makes a huge impact on your life.

With that in mind I set out getting a degree in health education. I am a planner, so when I met my future husband and he told me he had diabetes. I remember thinking okay, that is manageable as long he stays on top of things we will be okay. My husband on the other hand is not a planner so we balance each other out.

We were married in Feb. 2002 in May, I made a doctors appointment that would change our lives forever. It was finals week, I was stressed, a newly wed working full time and in my last semester of college, and I had some horrible heart burn. When I arrived at the office my blood pressure was super high, since my dad had just passed away the doctor decided to run some tests.I have no idea why he ran an ANA (one of the test for lupus) this is a horrible expensive test and not frequently run, but I am grateful he did. A few days later I got a call saying I needed to go for further testing for lupus. After a lip biopsy,  some weird sticks they stick in my eye, numerous x-rays, about 100 vials of blood, urine cultures and even a test were I had to store my urine for 24 hours. I was diagnosed with systemic lupus. Funny how going in for heart burn can change your life.