22 Our Voice / May 2014
Diamanta Hartnell
Living & Coping
with Lupus
I am often times asked what Lupus is or what causes it, for when people see me their first assumption is that I look fairly healthy. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a disease that affects your immune system. When the body has an infection, a normal healthy working immune system will stop fighting an infection once it has healed; in a lupus patient, it will not shut off and starts attacking other healthy parts of the body. People with lupus generally look fine on the outside unless they have the lupus skin disorder which can leave permanent marks.
I was officially diagnosed with SLE in my early thirties. However, as I look back over the years of the many unexplained illnesses; and the constant pain, I believe I probably have had it since my late teens. Growing up, I was into nearly every sport my schools offered from cheerleading and gymnastics; to team sports like basketball & volleyball; to long distance running and anchoring a relay race on the track. In other words I was quite healthy and very active. During my first semester of college I woke up with a severe pain that would not