Has someone close to you been recently diagnosed with lupus disease? Perhaps your best friend from school is now grappling with an unexpected diagnosis… maybe your coworker down the hall just found out he has lupus disease… or possibly your mother has been told by a physician that she has lupus symptoms.
Beyond being devastated for your loved ones, you may also be confused. You want to help, but what’s the best way? Here, we’ll explore some terrific (and subtle) techniques to show how much you care in an acceptable, effective way.
A Lupus Disease Primer
First, it’s important for you to know more about lupus disease in order to help someone else. The disease attacks the body’s immune system, usually causing lupus symptoms that mimic those of arthritis (such as joint pain and swelling.) Lupus disease sufferers also commonly get skin rashes and may experience very high fevers (which can lead to seizures in a small percentage of cases.)
Worst of all, many lupus disease patients experience debilitating exhaustion. What they feel is worse that a “didn’t get a good night’s rest” bout of fatigue; instead, their lupus symptoms can cause them to be practically unable to get out of bed at all for days at a time due to total body tiredness and extreme “achiness.” Make sure you are aware of the severity and extent of your loved one’s lupus symptoms.
Being a Good Friend to Those Suffering Lupus Symptoms
Lupus disease sufferers deserve your patience and kindness, especially when they are grappling with lupus symptoms. Even if you don’t understand why they are so lethargic, rest assured that they are not “making up” their condition. Lupus disease may not always show on the outside, but lupus disease is very real and should be treated as such.
If the person in your life who has lupus disease is undergoing a particularly rough flare-up of lupus symptoms, why not offer to help her out? Drop by with some plates of food (especially if she has a family to feed and cannot get out of bed to even crawl to the kitchen due to lupus disease symptoms.) Alternatively, you could ask if she needed assistance with difficult tasks such as gardening (an activity that is particularly painful if joints are swollen) or simple housecleaning.
At the office, you may have to be a little more cautious about how you handle your offers of help. After all, you don’t want to make your lupus disease teammate feel inadequate. Instead, be watchful and let him or her know repeatedly that you’re willing to lend a helping hand, even if it’s just to grab his or her lunch from the break room fridge.
A Source of Support
Again, even if you feel uncomfortable with your friend or loved one’s lupus disease diagnosis, make sure you never ignore it. If he or she reveals the condition to you, then you are free to show your support at every turn. Remember - being a friend is a two-way street, and you never know when or how he or she may be able to return the favor to you in a time of need.
