By Fletcher Word
The Truth Editor
Fifty-three-year-old Ruby Watkins’s symptoms began in the fall of 2017, when she was well into her adulthood. She began having problems digesting food and was becoming nauseous when she did. Her joints started aching and then came the days when she was simply unable to get out of bed.
She was in and out of hospitals for almost a year, seeking diagnoses from a number of health professionals. She was also losing patches of her hair, which led her to seek the advice of a dermatologist, Dr. Hope Mitchell, MD.
After a year of suffering for what were to her unknown reasons, in September 2018, Watkins finally received an accurate explanation from Dr. Mitchell – she was, and is, suffering from lupus.
Lupus is a chronic (long-term) disease that can cause inflammation and pain, amid a range of symptoms, in any part of your body. It’s an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system — the body system that usually fights infections — attacks healthy tissue instead. (source: lupus.org)
There are different types of the autoimmune disease which affect different organs of the body, from the skin to kidneys and other internal organs. Because lupus affects many parts of the body, it can cause a lot of different symptoms. (source: lupus.org).
In Watkins’ case, she suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus, afflicting about 70 percent of cases. SLE is typically widespread throughout the body and can attack joints, organs and blood vessels. On one hand, Watkins feels she is fortunate that her organs have not been attacked by lupus. However, her joints have been attacked and she has suffered greatly because of it.
Both of Watkins’ knees have had to be replaced, she has four or five herniated discs. Her skin issues have continued – the hair loss continues and in general, she has to be careful in the sun less her skin gets too exposed. The fatigue also is an ongoing problem.
Toledo born and reared, Watkins, a graduate of Oral Roberts University with a major in education, works in a school which carries, for her, its own set of issues. Interactions with youngsters, “the little germ factories,” render her sick on a frequent basis, especially since it is simply not in her nature to resist giving a little one a hug when necessary. “I can’t not hug them,” she admits. However, the stress of the job and the physical challenge will cause her to retire earlier than she had anticipated, perhaps as early as next year.
So which parts of the population are prone to contract lupus?
Lupus is more common in African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Women of childbearing age are more like to develop lupus as 90 percent of those with the disease are women.
And for many people, as with Watkins, the problems of diagnosis are common, in part no doubt, because it is more common in minority groups than in the majority. Also, in part because the autoimmune disease does not afflict everyone with the same obvious symptoms.
That also presents a problem in the day-to-day lives of lupus sufferers, notes Watkins.
“People can’t see when others have an autoimmune disease and when you’re struggling,” she says. “Give people some grace, you don’t know the challenges others are facing.”
Here in Toledo, the fifth annual Living with Lupus Walk will be held the weekend of May 16-18. Events will include a paint and sip party, a wig giveaway, a karaoke party and the walk on Sunday, May 18.