Lupus rashes on the day of biopsy in Feb 2010
Lupus rashes a week later after the biopsy was done
Lupus or discoid lupus rashes in Feb 2010
Relapsing Polychondritis in 2010
February 17th 2010, I still remember clearly, was the day that my husband and I were told by my dermatologist that my skin biopsy result was lupus, and the inflamed ear might be caused by Relapsing Polychondritis. I was shocked, frightened, and thought I would die soon. I was angry too. I had been seeing the same dermatologist and taking the antibiotics he prescribed for eight months without knowing what really happened to me. My husband was shocked as well and didn’t know how to react to the news. Although the doctor told us the medication today was very advanced and the survival rate is high, we were filled with despair.
That evening we didn’t speak to each other. While he was watching sports on TV after dinner, I did a lot of online research about lupus and relapsing polychondritis. Luckily I came across the success story of Vanessa from Dr. McDougall’s website. They gave me hopes and I emailed Dr. McDougall that night about my symptoms. He emailed me back the day after and wanted me to try Elimination Diet. I found the diet very strict but I was determined to follow it. So I started the diet the next day.
I started taking Prednisone on February 21, 2010 after seeing a rheumatologist. I was on 60mg per day and tapered it down to 10mg within a couple months. During that time I was on the Elimination Diet but with fresh fruits and avocados. I think the fact that I didn’t get the moon face from Prednisone is due to the healthy diet. The only down side for me from this diet was constipation. So I added fish oil and probiotics to my diet and the problem seemed improved.
Now I keep a plant-based diet and try to avoid animal products and processed food. Every time I eat frozen processed food such as frozen spring rolls, my ears become inflamed and red spots show up on my face. It could be coincident since I usually don’t eat processed food unless I am too busy or too stressed to cook. So stress might be a big culprit for me.
It’s been almost three years since I was first diagnosed with lupus. What I have learned is never let any disease stop me from moving forward. We need to keep living, have faith, and try to appreciate and enjoy every moment of our life.
My Lupus Diary 