Lupus

“You have lupus.” My doctor’s words cut through the air in the stark white of her examination room, and right through my soul.  Now it was real.  All the questions, the mystery, all of it just slipped away.  Instead a panic swelled inside my heart. I looked down at my feet dangling from the table.  My jeweled aqua blue flip flops and the bright pink

In a separate post, we looked at some of the main considerations for a woman diagnosed with lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, or SLE) who desires to become pregnant. Here we continue that discussion, focusing on how a pregnant woman and her baby might be impacted under these circumstances.  It’s crucial that all women suffering from lupus understand that the chance of complications during pregnancy is

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), commonly referred to as lupus, is an autoimmune disease that overwhelmingly affects women, which means there are certain considerations for patients who are or are looking to become pregnant.  Below we discuss some aspects of this disease during this very specific state of health in women of childbearing age. What are some considerations for planning to become pregnant if I have lupus?

How does lupus get started? Your immune system’s sole function is to recognize agents that are not you, e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, cancer cells, and eliminate them from your body.  When its actions are misdirected, your immune system may target your own tissues as if they were foreign invaders, resulting in an autoimmune disease.  Systemic lupus erythematosus, or lupus — a disorder that can damage