Gearing Up For the 4th

The 4th of July is definitely one of my favorite holidays. All the cookouts and seeing family and friends is so much fun. I have three cookouts in three days to go to. I have realized that I can't go to all three, so I am opting out of the one today.

My lupus and exposure to the sun are very linked. It takes all of two minutes outside for me to get a sun rash. I usually get it on my legs, regardless of whether I am wearing shorts or long pants, and more recently on my neck and the underside of my chin. The rash is painful/itchy. I think in reality it is more painful, but my first instinct is to scratch it for some reason.

I also have a really hard time with sunscreen. I hate the stuff. No matter what it feels oily and gross when I put it on. Even when the bottle says "oil-free" or whatever, I can tell I am wearing it. So I tend to forgo it. This is bad. I need to get better about this especially since I just started a new job and I don't have any personal/sick/vacation time yet. I can't afford to have a lupus flare right now. So I guess this weekend will be filled with lots of food, family, friends...and sunscreen.

Has It Really Been That Long?

Sorry I have not posted in over a week. I got home a week ago today and have been pretty much just enjoying my time here. I started back at my internship yesterday and I am still waiting to hear back from a real, paying job. I had an interview on Friday with Sears, so maybe that will turn into something.

I am still liking the CellCept, but unfortunately I got my blood test results back a couple days ago and one of my liver enzymes was increased and my C3 complement was high, which I gather means acute inflammation of some sort. Hopefully when I go to The Lupus Center next Tuesday they don't tell me that I have to stop it.

However, while it is still working very well, I have been a little more achy over the past few days, even when taking pain medications constantly. But it is nothing I cannot manage and my evergy levels have been really good.

I am still waiting to get my grades back. I think I got 5 A- and a C+ in Spanish. That class was horrible for me. I took French in high school and unfortunately, that's what I spoke in Spanish class. It was not so bad last semester, so I don't know why I couldn't get the hang of it this semester. In any case, I hope that the C+ wont keep me off the Dean's List for this semester because I have all As for my other five classes.

As I have said before, I am a little crazy about my grades.

Hope everyone has a good week!