While writing and constructing the contents of this website I have  made a journey.

When I set out to write, the intention was to tell everyone that here I am a survivor of Lupus!! 

I thought it was that simple.  

This was a huge naivety on my part.  The truth is that the journey has been full of twists and turns, new discoveries and ever changing conclusions.

The reality is, that it has been enormously difficult to piece together what has really been happening.  

This website has been like a circle that is finally being completed.  

It has been written in effect, in real time,because, as I have been writing I have been improving and learning about this disease that is called Lupus.

The dilemma is the label....  should my illness have had a label?

In retrospect, the fact that I, personally, had to search for a label was the one thing that all those  years ago hindered my progress.

Once I had thought that finally there was had a label, at that point, I was then able to have the doctors pinpoint a chemical cosh for that disease.

That, my friends, was the problem.

There can be no denying that I have had all of the symptoms of Lupus, SLE Lupus, along with the  anti-bodies.

Because of this I was prescribed Lupus medicines.  I then had 'Lupus'.

I was officially ill.   

Officially, the medications could be handed out.

I have since gone on to find out why I became ill.

My efforts in this respect have been my saviour.  

What do I mean by Twentieth Century Syndrome?

Have you heard that phrased coined? 

Anyone growing up in the 60-90's may have heard it.

Do you remember a band called New PickettyWitch.  One of the singers there was in the news.  Not for her singing but an image of her looking desperately ill being wheeled off an aeroplane.  Sheila Roswell,  She said she was dying of Twentieth Century Syndrome.  She went to live in a place far away.  I think she ended up living in a Log Cabin far away from the madding crowds.  It was widely believed she was faking it or had mental issues.

Well, we are not living in the Twentieth Century now but, for me, the Twentieth Century is where I believe our problems really started.

We live in a different world to the world of our forefathers.  The last hundred years have seen unforetold change.

Some of the change for the better, and some, undeniably for the worse.

We are damaging ourselves everyday by the world we have created around us.

While science has  made huge strides, it has also caused untold damage.

What Problems has the Twentieth Century bought us?

One of the biggest problems we have a as Lupus sufferers is the plethora of chemicals readily available for  use by manufacturers.

They are in the food we eat, the cleaners we clean with, the makeup we beautify ourselves with.  The oceans becomes polluted with chemicals spewn out from manufacturers factories.   The farmers fields saturated with pesticides and fertilisers. 

We are living in an age where our bodies are assaulted on a daily basis.

What Part does Technology Play?

What do we have?   Televisions, Computers, Mobile phones, Tablets and I Pads, Wii's and PlayStation's.  The list is endless of things that keep our minds active.

Things that keep our bodies indoors.  In fact not just indoors but, indoors and, in a nice comfortable chair. 

From what time period did start?  Well,  I remember my children having a newSega computer.  Do you remember them?  Great little things.  Plug it in and hey the kids were happy for at least an hour looking at the television screen bounce a tennis ball back and forward.  That would be in the late nineties.  The advent of computer screens and kids being stuck indoors, is that the cause of the sickness that was coined Twentieth Century Syndrome?  

Since computers only really took of for public use in the latter half of the Twentieth Century I guess we mustn't put too much onus on them.  There are many other equally or more important factors to consider.

Food and Environment

For myself the biggest problem that I contend with on a daily basis is my intake of harmful chemicals or at least, trying not to have an intake of harmful chemicals!

The time that my blood tests come back as showing that I have lupus antibodies, seems always to be when my body needs to have good old detox.  It is plain to see.  I would have put on weight, my skin would not look so great and my ability to cope with stress would be greatly diminished.

Why do I let myself get to that point?  Well , obviously it is a good question. 

As already stated I finally feel that my health is at a manageable level.

Does it stay that way?  Not all the time.