As Dr House always says, "It's never Lupus!" Well, for me (and so many others) it was!

I have been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Eerythematosus (SLE) for 8 years now. I possibly had it earlier than that, but it wasn't found straight away. 

My story is long, but the consolidated version is this: I thought I had Rheumatoid Arthritis for a year, but then it progressed into a much worser condition. My kidneys almost failed on me whilst I was on a study internship in Los Angeles and once I was diagnosed, the treatment to stabilize the Lupus was quite enduring. I came back to the UK for my treatment. I had 6 doses of chemotherapy to put my immune system back on track. I lost a lot of my hair. I had blood clots on both of my lungs and I braved near-death twice. I had pleurisy twice and my joints felt destroyed. I thought I would never walk again at one point and the fatigue was beyond any I've ever experienced before. All this happened whilst I was also studying in my final year of University. If it wasn't for such support from my tutors and my family, I wouldn't have graduated.

I was 20 years old when I was diagnosed and I felt like the world was going to bury me in a dark place for quite some time. I thought I wouldn't be able to ever go abroad again. I thought I was destined to be in hospital for the rest of my life and that I would never complete my career in theatre.

Instead, I got better. I returned to America in 2005, 3 years after my diagnoses. I got accepted to the University of Alabama where I completed my Master of Fine Arts in Directing. I am now a qualified professor and director of theatre. I have visited 17 of the United States, and I am currently staying in Orlando, Florida, living my life! Lupus did not get the better of me. And it shouldn't others either!

I want to raise money towards helping those suffering with Lupus. I remember not knowing anything about the illness when I first was diagnosed and it is important to me to get the word out there. It is much more well known now than it was when I first heard of it. Hopefully, knowledge can be passed on through this page and your word of mouth.

I plan to hold a charity event for Lupus suffers to tell their stories in a shared reading soon. If you have Lupus, or know someone with Lupus who you have a close connection to, please write your story and share it with us. I would love to read them. If you have any questions, please do write to me.

If you would like to donate, the details are below of how it works. Even if it's just to give up a coffee for the day, please donate! It is a worthwhile cause!

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

For more information on Lupus, go to:

http://www.lupusuk.org.uk/home

http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html