Getting An Infection As A Mom With Lupus

It can be intense and overwhelming in the motherhood land. Why? Because having an autoimmune disease like lupus can be troubling with little kids. When your kids get sick, you can get sick but the symptoms can be much worse.

My daughter was diagnosed with the human rhinovirus and was sick for a long time. She only had a snotty and runny nose. Me being a mother, not even acknowledging that I could get sick, I let her drink from my cup and I contracted the cold as well.

My symptoms were a little bit different. I had coughing, a runny nose, a bloody nose, and I ended up having an ear infection. I went to the ER three times with my kids. My 4 month old is sick now and she got it because I breastfeed her.

Emergency room visit

When I went to the ER, I had an awesome doctor and a horrible nurse. I know people might not care to have good bedside manner but they should attempt to. This particular ER nurse lacked respect for his patients, his tone and mannerisms were not welcoming. He treated me as if I was coming in to fake pain and get some pain meds. He made me feel low at one of my lowest times.

The doctor had an awesome bedside manner. I told him I had lupus and he knew exactly how to treat the cold I was having. One of the medications given was steroids. I told him I could not taste or smell but when you get sick that can be a symptom it does not necessarily mean you have Covid.

Healing and next steps

When I was sent home I really had to rest to heal besides taking the medication. I had to do steam showers and get a steroid shot and IV steroids. My immune system was so weak I felt like I didn’t have any fight in me. It's okay to feel like that because you can know what your breaking point with having another illness added onto lupus.

I did recent blood work and I had a flare up going on, and I had protein in my urine and was recommended to see a nephrologist. I will go and see that nephrologist on the 2nd of next month. I am hoping that he doesn’t say anything that will detour me from getting to a better place for me and my kids. Oh motherhood with lupus!

Needing more rest

Sometimes when I get sick I feel like I am not doing enough or I feel like I am not taking care of my kids, so even when I am sick I will push myself even further and just make the situation worse because I am no better.

One bad thing I have now is that my naps are gone and that was a big help to my body. It helped with the fatigue and my lupus and I don’t have that now due to me having kids. My three year old rarely takes naps and the baby takes multiples, but luckily my support team helps sometimes to let me get the rest I need.

I love motherhood but lupus sucks when it attacks things just because you're not well rested.