Lupie Mailbox

know that false sense of well-being). I miss those days when I felt "normal". I hate this feeling of exhaustion and the guilt that goes with it. "What do you mean you don't want Kraft Dinner again?" I have no children, but my husband is a saint. I don't know what I would do without him, but I don't know when enough is enough, Any suggestions?"

A: One of the hardest things to do when you have lupus is to know when to ask for help. (Sometimes it's a fight just to admit you need help in the first place!) Once you wrap your mind around the fact that you can't do everything yourself, you need to realize one major thing:

We are no good to anyone if we don't take care of ourselves!

We may have the best intentions in the world, may have been able to organize bake sales, car pools and spread sheets, may even have been June Cleaver, Katie Couric and Mother Teresa all wrapped up in one, but when you're living with the wolf, all bets are off!

You must, must, MUST take care of yourself before you are capable of taking care of anyone or anything else. This may mean anything from declining dinner invitations to getting someone else to clean your house. It is not a failure to take good care of yourself - It is a strength and a responsibility that we MUST uphold.

If downsizing the amount of things that you are doing extracurricularly doesn't help you feel better, it may be time to apply for SSDI. Everyone in the US that works pays into it, so it's not a handout - It's what you paid for with all your years of work. For more information on what's available to people who cannot work any longer, see Social Security Options or the SSA website.

I hope that helps answer some of your questions. Again, I appreciate everyone's patience and support and I look forward to getting back in touch with all my lupie pals!

Take Care of You!

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