How to live with lupus

My Turning Point

After all these years of life struggles and experiences, I finally learned to stay faithful to my check ups and taking my medication. But the road to recovery seemed to be taking such a long time. I wanted to feel “normal’ again, no more ache and pain, no more waking up in the morning feeling good on some days and bad on other days! Even though I knew that lupus meant a lifelong illness and there was no permanent cure.

I remembered some time in the year 2001, after my routine blood test and check up at a specialist’s clinic, my husband and I went across the street to have our lunch. About an hour later that day, I received a telephone call from my doctor regarding the blood test results. I had a lupus flare and needed immediate medical attention. I went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and was hospitalized.

That was how I met my present doctor, Dr Lian Tsui Yee, consultant of the Rheumatology & Immunology. I have come across many doctors but this one is special. On the first morning during my stay in the hospital, I remembered what she did during the ward visit by the doctors. After the group had left, she came back shortly to examine my body and explained why she did this and that and what medicines will be given to do what etc. She also explained my SLE condition and asked me not to worry. Maybe it was the anxious look on my face and she had such a smile that could make you feel you are in safe hands. You know that really brought comfort to me and my husband. She is very kind and caring, full of compassion and I can always feel her sincerity. She is ever ready to listen and chats with you like a family member. It’s very heart warming. I never missed any of my appointments with her. How many doctors do you know are like that? With all due respect, Dr Lian Tsui Yee is one exception!

In August 2002, I was traveling in a cab and on my way for a medical appointment, the driver’s radio was on a Chinese channel and I got hooked. I cannot deny that it had helped to change my life and my way of thinking. If you had read my blog on “My gratitude to a wonderful friend”, you will know how I got hooked on Mediacorp Radio Love 97.2FM “jin bao bai fen bai’.

After ten years, I finally came to accept my lupus condition. The encouragement that I had received while listening to the Chinese radio program had brought new hope in my life. From the contents of the program, I knew that the DJ must have had put in a lot of hard work in order to capture the hearts of the listeners. His radio show included healthy recipes, interviews with doctors, benefits and nutrition of foods, fight against common ailments and also chronic illness especially in the area of cancer. There were also stories and testimonies of people who overcame all odds and sicknesses. DJ Billy Wang is a cancer warrior himself and also one of the extraordinary people whom I grew to respect and trust.

I admired him for his courage and transparency to dare to bear all of his past before the public. And now at present, he is taking the lead by setting the role model and teaching others on healthy living and fight against cancer. I have acquired much knowledge and information relating to health through Billy. I was sad that this program has ended on 6th October 2006. Yet at the same time I am happy to know that my friend could now spend more time with his beloved mother and family. He will be concentrating on his teachings on healthy living in order to reach out to more people. May God continue to bless his works.