Latasha Biggins Burnett
My name is Latasha. I'm 36, a single mother with 4 children. I'm a Marriage & Family therapist who specializes in trauma therapy. I work predominately with children & teens who have been sexually/physically abused, neglected, witnessed domestic violence or suffered a traumatic grief/loss. I work 6 days a week. I work for an agency & I have a private practice.
This disease has not only taken a toll on me but on my friends & family too. This is my story of my journey with Lupus & Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I have learned that I've had early signs of the diseases from my teen yrs. My grandmother has Lupus as well. In 01/2006, I was giving birth to my last daughter & the epidural paralyzed me from the waist up. I went into cardiac arrest. I felt like life had left me & my baby came out of it with epilepsy. I began to have major symptoms of the diseases but no one would listen to me.
I was diagnosed w/Fibromyalgia & made to feel like a hypochondriac. In 2011, I was doing a group & I was unable to make a complete sentence, write, & speech was slurred. Docs said I had a stroke. They also noticed problems with clotting of my blood. Next day same symptoms. I was admitted into the hospital & finally received diagnosis of Lupus/MS exacerbated.
My doc has stuck by me the whole way & I know God has used her to truly help me find the person I had lost in this fight-ME. I have numerous diagnosis. I take 26 meds, vitamins & supplements a day. I switched to a strict Vegan & natural lifestyle. I'm on my 2nd mediport placement in my chest which I've received mnthly IV treatments through for past 2 yrs. I have no usable veins in my arms due to severe flares & scar tissue from numerous needle sticks.
I have chronic Lupus arthritis & severe Sjogrens. I have developed plaques in my brain from MS. I often loose the ability to walk & use my hands. My vision is terrible. I now wear bifocals & still have problems seeing due to damage from MS. My memory is bad & I forget things often. I've been hospitalized 12x over past 2 yrs for week long stays receiving intensive IV treatments.
The diseases have attacked my brain/CNS, eyes, glands in mouth/ neck, thyroid (suddenly developed hypothyroidism), lymphatic system, blood, minor heart problems, bladder, joints, muscles & reproductive system.
I praise God I'm still alive. When we say we are Lupus Warriors and are fighting a battle, its the truth! Literally, I can say that for the past 7 1/2 yrs, I've been fighting an enemy I can't see. My body has taken a fierce beating! A couple weeks ago, I couldn't eat, walk & was in excruciating pain. I have never in all these years used pain meds. (Against my docs wishes, I've always refused them. )
I was ready to die.
I asked God to take me home.
I just couldn't fight anymore.
God told me to look up & live.
I thought about my 4 children & all the children/ families I help to heal from abuse. I realize I have to fight even if it's with a body beaten, battered & torn by Lupus/MS. Lupus has been a gift because before I got sick I was pretending through life. Now all of my "masks" are off. I've never been happier or felt more beautiful in my life.
Lupus/MS reminds me to take care of me. The passion I have for God, people, & life has grown intensely.
I'm fighting to live & this is a battle, Lupus/MS, that I'm planning to win!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment