The other week I went to my new Rheumatologist. After three tries at the Cleveland Clinic, I have finally found a Rheum whom I love!

He questioned my Lyme Disease diagnosis,` and I have an appointment with an Infectious Disease specialist in a couple of weeks, hopefully to finally know whether I actually have Lyme.

It appears that my joint hypermobililty has gotten worse, especially in my wrists. I have been having to immobilize them by bandaging them, and needing to take pain medication. We took X-rays of my hands and wrists.

One of the greatest things about this doctor was that he didn’t hurt me at all! All of my other Rheums, well the ones who actually cared to examine me, would mash up my joints and cause great pain.

But the best thing about the appointment was that because I was not showing symptoms of Lupus, the doctor thought that the Lupus has “burnt itself out”, which means improvement or remission of disease, and no more symptoms of Lupus in my body! According to the London Lupus Centre, “With the evolution of knowledge that has come about concerning lupus, it is clear that for most patients, a normal and active life is entirely possible. Even in those patients going through a long and seemingly endless flare of disease; improvement or ‘remission’ of disease is likely. The disease does burn itself out.”

The blood work may or may not support the doctor’s theory, but I can’t help feeling like it is true!

Of all of the Lupies I know, I am the first one to hear this “burnt out” term. My friends with Lupus, there is hope for us all! New medicines such as Benlysta and earlier detection is making this possible!

I ask all of you whom are fighting this horrendous disease to please have hope. Perhaps our dreams of a total cure are not as far away as we think!

Have any of you been told that your Lupus has burnt itself out?

Photo credit: Reema Chadha.