Kelly's Story

My name is Kelly Morrisseau and I was diagnosed with Lupus on October 27, 2004, at the age of 27.
I was a young healthy aboriginal female who had everything going for her.
I was first hospitalized in June 2005 for 3 weeks with severe water retention, I was originally 130lbs. and with the water I bloated up to 180lbs. carrying 50lbs of water I could no longer walk and was admitted and put on a heavy dose of IV Lasix and a strict and minimal fluid and sodium intake diet. At this time I also began getting leisons on my body that would scab and eventually scar, sometimes the water retention was so great that it would break the leison and start seeping water, I cry as I write this part because out of all the things I went through watching me turn into a leaking water balloon was probably the hardest, it was so embarrassing having a soaking bed, soaking socks & shoes, even at home I would have to have a soaker or a towel under my ankles to absorb the water, I hated it.
After 3 weeks of battliing the water I was released only to return 2 weeks later. One morning I found a small red spot on my ankle, I knew I had a Dr.s appt at 300 p.m that day and waiting for that would be quicker than waiting in the ER the spot quickly spread up and around my leg up to the bottom of my knee, by the time I checked in for my appt. I could not walk and the entire area below my knee was red and painful. I showed my physician immediately and was admitted to hospital again, with cellulitis and a hematoma was found growing in my calf.
That evening in hospital I received surgery on my bed in my hospital room (so weird) and a litre and a half of puss was removed from my calf by a plastic surgeon. I was in a wheelchair for the 3 weeks that I was in hospital and when released I had to have home care to attend to the dressings and attend rehabiliation to help me get my balance back and to improve my muscles.

I have also undergone 15 months of cyclophosamide which was so gruelling and hard on my body, caused me to lose my hair and well I guess I suffered through the other effects that come with cheemotherapy treatments, pretty much what it is.
15 treatments is pretty much the maximum amount I can receive anymore than that and I risk the chance of developing another disease, we can only kill so many of our cells.
But today I still battle this disease with a large bag of pills, a strict diet, constant Drs appointments with various Dr.s and the fear that any day now it can all come rushing back to me and maybe next time with a whole new set of diseases. I fear when I gain a pound, when I get dizzy, when I get too tired for a simple task, a see a scab, my eyes get puffy, I lose a hair. The fear and the unknown are almost unbearable.

I could go on with stories on the small stuff but its emotionally hard enough to write about the big ones.

Tis the season and everyday I thank god for my Renal specialist and his staff and every year he has an extra present under the tree and his nurses have an extra large bag of sweets for how sweet and sensitive they are to me.

God Bless You and your efforts
Kelly Morrisseau
Survivor