2 sisters having lupus

Post Edited (razorbacc) : 5/19/2007 9:26:35 AM (GMT-6)

Welcome razorbac.

Like Hippi said, researchers have been looking into the genetic predispostion to AI diseases for some time.  Sometimes, especially when I'm really sick, it doesnt seem liek they are researching fast enough.  I have not been officially dx yet but my rheumy and neurologist have both said that it is Lupus, I also have Crohns and Sjogrens.  My rheumy relocated his practice to FL, so I had to find another and hoepfully will not have to start all over again.  My brother has a terminal case of Polycystic Kidney Disease (highly genetic) and my mother at 55 has a severe case of Osteoporosis and peripheral neuropathy (also genetic).  How much of all of this is true genetics, or maybe even environmental??  We were born and raised within ten miles of all of the nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge, TN.  Who knows... all we can do now is try to do everything we can to stay rested and manage our diseases.

Victoria

Mother of four, full time Systems Analyst

Sjogrens, Crohns, suspected Lupus, Pancreatitis Dec. 2005

Meds:  Medrol injections; Darvocet, starting Plaquenil in Feb.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lupus/DS00115 

I just talked to my sister who I haven't talked to in forever. Long story and her b/f who is learning about different diseases asked her if a doc had ever told her she had Lupus. I too have signs of Lupus.

Our mom comes from Cherokees and Irish.

My middle daughter has Transversal Myletis, she was dx that when she was 11 and I found out that is an autoimmune disease.

Veronica
 

Studies of various AI diseases show that they tend to run in families although not everyone gets the same disease...but they all get some kind of AI disease. 

My kids have my genes and those from my ex wife where MS runs in the family. My oldest son who is 42 just was tested for MS but they do not think he has it.  Hopefully neither of my biological sons will have a problem but they definitely have a gene set that could go haywire some day.

Bill

Meds: prednisone (9mg & tapering), 150mg imuran, lisinopril 40mg, maxide 37.5/25mg, norvasc 5 mg, folic acid, potassium, aciphex 20mg, multi vitamins.

Maintain your optimism and you can beat the odds.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."  Helen Keller

My sister and I both have Lupus.  My sister was diagnosed 30 years ago at the age of 21, I was just diagnosed recently but I've had symptoms for the last 4-5 years.  I'm 99% sure that my mother has Lupus too because I think she has Rayneads (which I was diagnosed with a few years ago) and she also has restless leg (which I see a lot of people here note in their list of conditions).  That plus the fact that she also gets achy joints, very tired etc... Her mom (my grandmother) was very sickly too and died when she was young so who knows, she may have had it too but that was many many years ago and perhaps Lupus wasn't even a disease back then.  They are all 100% Irish by the way.

A couple of years ago, I was seeing a doctor and he discovered that I had hardening of the arteries.  Right away he started saying I had to change my diet etc... I told him that I had never tested high for cholesteral, I didn't eat red meat etc...  I questioned why I would be afflicted with something like seeing my test results were good and I ate a good diet.  He said "its in your genes".  So, I questioned why no one else in my family was affected the same way and he said that although we all had the possibility because we had the same parents, my siblings and I did not have the same gene makeup.  I guess I am the chosen one...lol

My point being - although we may carry the genes - we may not all be affected.  My sister has no daughters and her two sons seem to be ok.  My one niece (brothers daughter) complains about a lot of the things I do so who knows....