Angie's Story

My name is Angie Sica , And I have LUPUS...

When I was just starting my life, new wife, new mother and a wonderful job. I thought I had the perfect life, Until the summer of 1991 when I started to feel fatigue, and sick all the time.I kept going to the doctors and nothing was found. I was told it was due to the busy life style I was having. Then I started to get lesions on my whole body and not knowing what it was was sent to a specialist... ( Thank God my doctor was consistent) I was then given so many test and a biopsy of one of the lesions on my arm, and that when I was diagnosed with Lupus.

Since then have lived with fatigue, aches and pains and have had to stay home on and off from work.

Then I got pregnant the second time and miscarried.... After 6mths of the miscarriage I was given the ok to try and conceive again... I was THz pregnant when I started to loose 15 grams of protein and went was loosing the battle... sent to yet another specialist and another biopsy, I was then diagnosed with LUPUS in my kidneys and had no choice but to abort the baby, I was devastated.( I was determined to have another child)After seeing the doctor a few times, on our last visit ( I was pregnant but not confirmed) he suggested to not get pregnant anymore. After a few weeks I went to get my pregnancy test and I was in fact pregnant again. I went to see my specialist and we decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and to be monitored every two weeks at the hospital. All the time being pregnant I felt fatigue x 2 and very weak. at seven and a half months I became dizzy while taking a shower and fell breaking my ribs. Rushed to the hospital in fear of loosing my baby , besides the broken ribs, my baby was fine. I was asked to be bed ridden for the remainder period of my pregnancy. I delivered a healthy baby boy 3 wks early due to my kidney function. I felt relieved it was over. having LUPUS its a longer recovery and healing takes much longer. Since then I have had good days and bad days.The bad days have costed my job due to too many days sick, and more doctor visits... I was given notices and eventually the stress of all of that left me home sick and jobless. I was then on sick benefit and once it ran out I had no income. I began to experience anxiety as my LUPUS got worse. All my joints, my back... my hands , feet and legs , I felt helpless. I was going to the doctor on a weekly basis, trying the chiropractor but nothing helped. I not only have constant pain in my back , hands and feet, I have had my skin peeling to a raw feeling...( not being able to clean cook, take showers and walk well) I was finally put on meds again and now experience stomach pain...

With LUPUS , there is no win win situation... I am now home, separated with 2 kids and no income. My doctor has recommended due to my Lupus to apply for disability. I have applied on Sept 19th and have been waiting since. You have people that are on disability for non life threatening disorders but people with LUPUS that die everyday have a hard time getting acknowledged.Where is the justice for that...

WE LUPUS suffers live day to day , hoping to have one good day... to play with our kids , go to a party without pain, and doing everyday house work, fear that we will die from this one day.

This is not just a decease that comes and goes, its stays for life and affects not only me but my family too.

Please help us make a difference that we too have a disability that holds us back on daily duties! Why can't the disability people see this .
Angie Paniccia Sica