My "baby" sister, Nancy, is having yet another operation, the second on her back, on Friday, Dec. 16. Nancy has lupus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis & quite a few other auto-immune disorders.
She had a disk replaced about a year ago. This time surgeons are going to fuse several vertebrae, I think. She's had knee & hip surgery previously. The lupus has caused osteonecrosis (bone tissue to die around the joints) and one hip surgery caused her to develop scoliosis, which caused her back problems.
Nancy is in pain much of the time, but tries not to show it. She's on a chemo drug for the RA, and has bouts of nausea from that.
She was diagnosed with SLE at about age 42; she's 49 now.
One bright spot ahead in the year for Nancy & her husband: Their son will graduate with honors in computer science May 6, 2006, from the University of Texas at Dallas, and their daughter is expecting her first baby in July 2006.
We're hoping these events will help take some of the edge off Nancy's pain in the months to come. But right now she could sure use a few prayers that her surgery is successful and gives her some pain relief.
Thanks from my family.
She had a disk replaced about a year ago. This time surgeons are going to fuse several vertebrae, I think. She's had knee & hip surgery previously. The lupus has caused osteonecrosis (bone tissue to die around the joints) and one hip surgery caused her to develop scoliosis, which caused her back problems.
Nancy is in pain much of the time, but tries not to show it. She's on a chemo drug for the RA, and has bouts of nausea from that.
She was diagnosed with SLE at about age 42; she's 49 now.
One bright spot ahead in the year for Nancy & her husband: Their son will graduate with honors in computer science May 6, 2006, from the University of Texas at Dallas, and their daughter is expecting her first baby in July 2006.
We're hoping these events will help take some of the edge off Nancy's pain in the months to come. But right now she could sure use a few prayers that her surgery is successful and gives her some pain relief.
Thanks from my family.
