i am wondering if anyone else has experienced open sores on any part of their body that refuse to heal. also if there would be a reason for shortness of breath and abnormal (even for me) tiredness... yesterday i slept 15 hours and still felt like i had no rest at all. i am used to it taking 12 hours to feel rested, but more than that is even worse. i am begining to worry more the worse things get. i no longer have any color to my lips- they are very white. and i can not seem to catch my breath- i have mild asthma and have tried my inhaler for this with no results. does this sound familiar to anyone? i am bruising 10 times more easily than normal and i normally bruise like it is going out of style. i hate to bother everyone again, but my new doctor is unavailable, and my internist thinks i am crazy. i am unsure what i am supposed to do in a situation like this. and i have no insurance so going to the hospital is out of the question. any advice? i would appreciate it. thanks.
Kaitlin
KaitlinAnneBowerman@usa.net

Hello ... you need to get some government assistance right away if possible! like medicaid. you really need to get that checked out. if you have to incur the debt yourself. your health is more important than money believe me!! please seek medical attention and keep me posted : lyndsfairne@hotmail.com

good luck! Lynds

Good luck, SailormoonK--we are all pulling for you. I really wish I could help. I have some pretty bad breathing problems off and on, but I don't have asthma. I also bruise easily, but sometimes I just wake up COVERED in bruises--no reason! It is truly bizarre. As for the wounds not healing, I heal very slowly and always scar, but I've not had anything that just refused to heal indefinitely. I don't know if or how any of that is related to lupus, but I have heard that some skin cancers have that as a symptom. I don't want to scare you, but I agree with Lyndsfairne, you need to get it checked out (if only for peace of mind)--some doctor's can be really understanding with regard to payment(if you aren't able to get medicaid or something). My husband incurred a medical bill in 1995 and they allowed us to make a minimum of $10/month payment AS LONG AS WE NEEDED TO until it was paid off. Like you, he didn't have insurance at the time. There are some caring healer's out there--whose main goal is to help sick people, not amass a small fortune. I will pray that everything works out for you.

And BTW, you are NO BOTHER to anyone. The board is here for all of us to help each other. No one would come and read these if they didn't want to feel a sense of "I am not alone". And you never know when you may say something that helps someone, even if they don't answer you. (Lots of people read these boards and never add to them--and that is ok, too!) So remember THAT when you are feeling "Geez, they've gotta be getting sick of my posts." Besides, the way I look at it, if someone is tired of my concerns/problems, they don't have read them! Scroll on, ya know?!
Hey, take care. And guess what. I have been stressed to the MAX today...pressures from every corner, it seems. But hoping I can give you a word of encouragement really makes me feel better. So, keep on posting and I sure hope you are in a better place, soon. DeeDee http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Kaitlin,
I don't have any breathing problems and have always bruised easily. Two years ago, I developed a sore on the edge of my upper lip. Used everything to try to get it to heal. It would be open for a while, then it would dry and peal, then looked like normal about a week, then the whole cycle would start all over again. Also noticed a couple of spots on my nose. Those weren't open, but would peal & flake, then look somewhat o.k., then start peeling all over again. Went to a derm and he used liquid nitrogen on my lip and one spot on my nose. After the healing, I thought it was o.k., but then it started all over again.(he didn't do a biopsy). Went back to the derm and he gave me some ointment. Nothing. Aftter about a 1 1/2 yrs., they seem to be normal (except for the scar on my lip). I don't know what made them go away cause it wasn't anything I used. I also have sores in my mouth that I never noticed (not painful), but my dentist did. On occasion, I have had a few in my nose and ears. They were mild and went away. In general, I noticed that it takes forever for my skin to heal.......it can take a month for a paper cut. I've just assumed it was the disease.
Hope you can figure something out, Ann

Thank you to everyone who has replied to my questions. i will be seeing my doctor again on the 26th, but she is 300+ miles away and so not a good bet in an emergancy. my internist 30 miles away thinks i am insane, and sent me to a psyciatrist who sent me to the doctor 300+ miles away because she is a good rhuemetologist- in fact she teaches rhuemetology to med students. i will try and follow what advice i can. one of the sores is healing, but i have developed a large swelling on my legg full of clotted and unclotted blood that requires draining two or more times a day (no injury to the area) or causes severe localized pain. is this normal? it strikes me as odd, but then again my body has been acting worse in the last few weeks.