Lupus: The nightmare of your body attacking itself
The hardest ordeal in life for self-employed Elizabeth Etuhole Amalovu (43) is dealing with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic autoimmune disease in which her body’s immune system attacks her system and tissues.
In addition, she is struggling with societal discrimination, such as some people’s insinuation that she is bewitched or faking an illness because she does not physically appear ill.
Others accuse her of having HIV.
Amalovu stressed that such diseases are never easy to deal with, and rather require support systems at all levels.
The Oshakati-based Amalovu recalls having migraines while she was a teen.
This led to her parents taking her for a traditional procedure, where an elder cut a small skin on her forehead.
The procedure, called ‘okushatwa’, worked for a short period, and she was relieved of the pain and her headache disappeared.
“The condition reoccurred again in my early 30s. I started having a severe headache, developing some skin rashes on my forehead and arms, and having chest joint pains, impaired vision and inflammation,” she explained.
Amalovu said the worst thing is that when she has migraines, she becomes weak, unconscious and can collapse wherever she finds herself.
“I have visited several state hospitals, and all the doctors could not diagnose my condition. All they do is prescribe medications to relieve migraine, and treat skin rash allergies and pain,” she stated.
Amalovu pointed out that in most cases, the prescribed medications are not available in stock at the hospital pharmacy, and the only option is to acquire them from private pharmacies.
“These medications are extremely expensive because I do not have medical aid, and neither a constant income. I cannot afford them at all – and sometimes, a lengthy period can pass by without taking the prescribed medication,” she stated, adding that at least she now knows her condition.
“I’m happy that at last in 2019, my condition was diagnosed so that I can console myself to live positively with this rare condition. It was hard because all they said was allergies,” she sadly told Vital Signs.
Her biggest challenge is poor vision and painful joints.
She needs glasses that cost N$6 000, but she cannot afford them. The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention states that the immune system attacks its tissues, causing widespread inflammation and tissue damage in the affected organs.
It can affect the joints, skin, brain, lungs, kidneys and blood vessels.
There is no cure for lupus, but medical interventions and lifestyle changes can help control it.
“SLE can affect people of all ages, including children. However, women of childbearing ages – 15 to 44 years – are at greatest risk of developing SLE. Women of all ages are affected far more than men,” the CDC states on its website.
Additionally, causes of premature death associated with SLE are mainly active disease, organ failure (e.g., kidneys), infection or cardiovascular disease from accelerated atherosclerosis.