My First Major Lupus Flare

   A few weeks ago, it was like 100 degrees here in southern California, I was 27 weeks pregnant, and I was miserable. I was at dinner for my brother in laws birthday a few weeks prior, and all the sudden I had a sharp pain running down my right arm. It was a hard to explain dull ache that went from my shoulder to wrist. I left dinner in fear, and went to an urgent care that night. I had been getting the lupus malar rash on my face a few weeks before, but I chalked it up to too much sun exposure. The doctor at the urgent care said it could be neuropathy from my lupus and to follow up with my doctors. The next week I saw my rheumy who ordered doppler ultrasound studies in my arms to rule out a blood clot. I ended up having 3, because each one came back "inconclusive" (which is scary) and since I am pregnant there is not much more they can do but just watch that it doesn't get worse. I took prednisone for a week and thought I was feeling better, all until that heat rolled in...
   100 degrees outside and I am covered in blankets shivering with a fever. I feel like crap, my whole body hurts.  I started having chest pains when I breathed in and it felt like I was never getting enough oxygen. I kept going back and forth on whether I should go to the ER, I hate the ER, imagining staying 8 hours somewhere with a chance that they think I'm crazy.  Finally around 7pm, Matt and I headed over there. By the time I walked in my body felt like it was going to fall apart. I could barely walk. They ask "where does it hurt?", well I was there for my right side arm and chest pain, but I had to say "Honestly, my whole body, everything hurts." They gave my a wheel chair and got me in pretty fast, I'm sure saying I had a hard time breathing didn't hurt.
   The ER doctor was awesome, he actually listened to me. Usually when you say "I'm pregnant, oh and I have lupus, a blood clotting disorder called antiphospholipid syndrome, and recently tested positive for sjorgens", they kind of just stand there and stare at you, but this guy was great. First, because of the clotting problem he wanted to rule out pulmonary embolism through CT scan. I am an xray tech so I am well aware of the dangers of radiation, especially while pregnant, so it took a lot of convincing on my part. I knew that if I did have a clot, that could mean death for me and my baby so it was better to go through with it. The doctor also gave me a small dose of morphine because I was in so much pain I literally couldn't even lay on the gurney, it helped so much. They inserted the IV contrast and it made me feel like I was literally peeing my pants! Apparently that is a normal sensation, but I had to do a double take at my underwear just to make sure.
    Great news, no clot! He diagnosed me with pleurisy, inflammation of the lining of the lungs that causes pain and trouble breathing. Just another complication of lupus that I had never experienced before. Body aches, pain, fever, rash, all fit the bill to a lupus flare. I had read other peoples blogs about how they laid in bed for a week because they literally couldn't get up, I now knew that feeling. The joint pain was excruciating, and unfortunately there is not much I could take because I'm pregnant.
   3 weeks later, and I am finally starting to feel better, although my joint pain has gotten pretty bad, at least the full on body pains have subsided.
  9 more weeks to go and Baby Angus is still looking healthy:) Keeping my fingers crossed!