11 months later

Hi,
Let's see, today is May 4th, 2010. It's been almost a year since my last post! Please forgive the absence!
So, how are things now? I am happy to report progress, I think I've hit a plateau though on ability. Thanks to my family, we reconfigured simple things like the kitchen cupboards so that all the dishes are now stowed near the dishwasher (less work to empty the dishwasher!), we put all the food in the upper cabinets to make it more accessible for me without aggrivating the symptoms I get when bending or lifting. I've redesigned my day so that I am ready to face the day before I go downstairs because I know I won't want to go back up if I can avoid it.
In July last year, I caught a cold and because of the heavy immune suppressants I ended up in the hospital for 6 days. Went home, rested for a couple of weeks, got the clearance to go on a vacation with my family. On day 3 of my vacation, ended up with another Lupus Flare and was hospitalized at Yale in Connecticuit. I spent most of the vacation in the hospital or in my hotel room while I sent the family to play. Thankfully, my brother and my sister in law lived near where we were staying for most of the trip, and it was a real blessing to spend more time with them. Oh! Another good thing, the "NON refundable" hotel reservation that I had???? They gave me my money back!
So, how are things now.......I do best: indoors, in temperatures less than 70 degress and on level surfaces, no sun. My thinking processes are smoother, I feel relief when I can reach and get things for myself. I am now doing some cooking, and I can wash dishes all by myself from start to finish. I have less double-vision and less blurry vision episodes. I keep my Mestinon on hand for when my body doesn't respond to my requests to MOVE.
I had hoped I would have made more progress by now, I look fine, I look normal but if I lift the laundry then I end up dizzy for hours and hours and hours.....the worst was when I inflated the air in my car tires...I could do it....but the dizziniess and wooziness that I had went on for the rest of the day.
I rode my bike this week! I rode it down my street and then turned around and made it halfway back! I no longer use a cane, or crutches but still can't walk in crowds worth a darn so I ask for wheelchair assistance or avoid it altogether. (want to go to Disney, but need to plan how to avoid the sun, heat and crowds) I also ask for help when walking down a slope and on uneven surfaces. Sometimes even ordinary things require an enormous amount of effort and I am fortunate that I have a few friends I can be real with, without fear of gossip or that they're going to share my story with anyone.....and that's a very good place to be.
I also want to thank my doctors because now, when I feel sick....I just send an email and POOF within 2 hours.....I get answers and treatment. I love how my world famous Lupus doctor says...."Teresa, parts of you are rocket science."
Since I haven't recovered as quickly or as throughly as I had expected/planned/hoped.....we are planning to sell our very tall 2 story house and move into a single story home. I hope it will be in my same neighborhood as we get more fog (less sun!!!!) and have cooler air and more wind here in my neighborhood. also, then I can get one of those rolling carts so I can push my laundry baskets around!!!!! At the rate I'm going with the organizing to move.....we won't have the house ready to sell for a year! LOL
So, that's a brief update. I'm celebrating my new record! What record is that???? LOL, It's been 9 months since my last hospitalization!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOeeeeeeeeeee!

Thanks you guys!!!!!!!
xo
TLC