Lupus, also called systemic lupus erythematosus, is an autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks its own tissue. The problem when your system attacks otherwise healthy tissue is that inflammation can occur. Inflammation caused by Lupus can cause several symptoms including fatigue, joint pain, and weakness. Oftentimes people experience flare-ups of their Lupus. While there is no cure for Lupus, there are activities that you can do to help reduce the severity and frequency of Lupus flares.
Here are a few suggestions to help reduce flare-ups from Lupus:
One recommendation is to follow medication recommendations from your doctor, either your rheumatologist or primary care provider. Adherence to prescribed medication is an important factor in treating your Lupus. It should come as no surprise that your doctor will only prescribe you medications, they believe that will help your condition. It is important to take those medications not only to help alleviate your symptoms but it also helps your doctor know what treatment is actually helping you or if your treatment regimen needs to be adjusted.
Another “do” is to attend frequent follow-up visits with your medical provider. If your rheumatologist is scheduling monthly follow-up appointments it is important for you to attend those appointments. Your medical provider will likely require updated lab work to determine if the treatment prescribed is helping. It is further important to discuss with your provider your ongoing symptoms, limitations, and potential side effects from medications. Because with Lupus you may experience flares, it is important to attend your appointments even if you are not experiencing a flare-up at that time.
Learning about Lupus is another “do” recommendation. The more you know about your condition the better you will be able to manage it. It is important to know what triggers may cause a flare-up. It is also important to communicate with your family about your condition and the symptoms you experience. The more you and your family know about the condition and what may trigger a flare, the better you will be at avoiding flare-ups.
One last “do” recommendation is to exercise. There are many health benefits to exercise but the main reason is to reduce the frequency of your flare-ups. It has been said the more you move the less frequent your flare-ups. This is not always the case but certainly cannot hurt.
In contrast to recommended activities, there are a few activities that you should abstain from. For example, you should not smoke, or drink alcohol excessively. You should also stay away from becoming pregnant unless your doctor has specifically advised you it is ok. Lastly, you should not overwork yourself. Stress and fatigue are two common triggers for Lupus. Get plenty of rest and keep your stress level low.
Individuals suffering from Lupus may require financial assistance to offset the expenses associated with lost income and medical treatment. If you suffer from Lupus and can no longer work, you may be eligible to receive social security disability benefits.
To determine if you are eligible to receive disability benefits, the social security administration will follow a five-step sequential evaluation process.
The first step in the process is to determine if you are earning substantial gainful activity. All this means is that if you are working and earning over a certain amount per month you will not be eligible to apply for disability benefits. If Lupus is preventing you from working, or limiting you from working more than 20 hours per week, you will likely pass step one easily, moving on to step two of the analysis.
Step two considers whether you suffer from a severe medical condition. Severity is evaluated as to whether a medical condition poses more than a minimal impact upon your ability to work. As long as you can document that you suffer from Lupus and your condition impacts your working ability you should have no problem passing step two in the analysis.
Step three considers whether your condition meets or equals one of Social Security’s Listed conditions. Social security has compiled a list of conditions in which they deem and of themselves are disabling. Lupus is considered under Listing 14.02. To determine whether your Lupus diagnosis qualifies you disabled under this Listing social security will review your medical evidence and compare it to Listing 14.02. This Listing has two potential components. The “A” component requires a showing of two or more organs affected by Lupus with at least of the organs affected to a moderate degree, along with two constitutional symptoms or signs such as severe fatigue, fever, malaise or involuntary weight loss. If your condition does not match the “A” component of this Listing, SSA will consider if you match the “B” component. This is exhibited by repeated manifestations of lupus with at least two of the constitutional symptoms (severe fatigue, fever, malaise or involuntary weight loss); with at least one of the following at the marked level: limitation of activities of daily living; limitation in maintaining social functioning; or limitation in completing tasks in a timely manner due to deficiencies in concentration.
If your medical records do not specifically support meeting Listing 14.02 then social security will move on to step four and five of the analysis. To determine if you are disabled at these last steps social security must first assess your residual functional capacity. To do this they review your medical records for a compilation of your functional capabilities, both physical and mental. Once social security has determined what you are functionally capable of doing, they will then determine if your capabilities allow you to perform your past relevant work. If not, they will then consider whether you are capable of performing other work in the national economy based upon your functional limitations.
If the severity of your Lupus is preventing you from working, you are likely a great candidate for the social security disability program. At the LaBovick Law Group, we have helped a number of individuals suffering from Lupus obtain disability benefits. We know how best to represent your case to social security so as to obtain a quick and positive outcome. We are happy to review your case, free of charge, to see if this is the right program for you.
Call us today at (561) 623-3681 for your free consultation!
James was searching for equipment for painting at Home Depot. In the aisle next to him, there was a worker on a lift stocking the highest shelf. The worker pushed boxes so far across the shelf that they fell off the other edge and hit James in the head. The force almost knocked James unconscious. He sat down and the loud bang got the worker off the ladder to see what fell. When they saw James they offered him a bucket and made a report. James did not recall leaving the store or how he got home. He did not recall much except being at home depot and getting hit in the head. Home Depot told him that it was a small box of dust masks that hurt him. We discovered it was actually a large box of emergency kits that fell off the shelf.
Personal injury
PERSONAL INJURY
$850,000
In this case, our client slipped and fell on water that had accumulated near the hot tubs/showers on the Lido deck of a major cruise line ship. The client suffered torn ligaments to her shoulder that required 2 arthroscopic surgeries. The cruise line took the position that the condition on the floor was open and obvious.
Premises liability
PREMISES LIABILITY
$980,000
Georgia was visiting a friend in the hospital when she walked out of the elevator and into her friend’s room. As soon as she entered the room she slipped on a newly mopped floor without any wet floor sign present. The floor was so wet that Georgia’s entire outfit was soaked. Because of the muted tile floor, the water was invisible. Georgia needed a back operation which was unsuccessful and caused her to slip into a coma. She luckily survived.
Motor vehicle accident
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT
$1.1 MILLION
AUTOMOBILE REAR END COLLISION
Rodrigo was driving his work truck home when he was rear-ended at a stoplight. Rodrigo needed a fusion of his thoracic spine. A terrible and complex operation. Unfortunately, while Rodrigo was undergoing the spinal operation, one of his children died and he was unable to be with his grieving wife. It was a tragic case that eventually settled.
Bicycle vs car accident
BICYCLE VS CAR ACCIDENT
$1.45 MILLION
David was a teacher at a local high school. He rode his bike to school in the morning and after school would ride another 10 miles for exercise. On a sunny afternoon on his way home an older driver turned right into him as he was riding down the street. He hurt his shoulder and neck and needed two operations. Defendant felt his injury was due to playing football 10 years earlier and would not provide him a fair or reasonable offer.
Car vs commercial truck accident
CAR VS COMMERCIAL TRUCK ACCIDENT
$3.4 MILLION
Joe was driving his 18 wheeler on the Florida Turnpike headed south after a long-haul run. He was “bobtailing” which means he did not have a cargo trailer on the back of his truck rig. A drunk driver lost control of his car causing Joe to avoid the accident but drive off the highway and into a canal. He was injured in the accident but also witnessed a child die when he climbed out of the truck and came to the accident site. There the injured child was trapped under the car and he was powerless to save the child before it passed.
Auto accident T-Bone
AUTO ACCIDENT T-BONE
$4.5 MILLION
Xao, a Vietnamese immigrant was driving home after work at night to see his pregnant wife. He stopped at a 4-way intersection and looked both ways. He did not see anyone in either direction. As Mr. X when through the intersection he was hit on the passenger side door by a mid-sized black SUV driving without their lights on. Mr. X was catastrophically injured.
Personal injury
PERSONAL INJURY
$8.2 MILLION
This was a hard-fought pedestrian accident case, in which our client was struck by an SUV driven by a teen driver, as they attempted to cross North Military Trail in West Palm Beach, FL. As a result of the accident, our client suffered numerous fractures, partial loss of vision and frontal lobe brain injury that affected his speech, and other personal injuries that required him to be hospitalized for 58 days.
At the time of the accident, our client was a cashier at Walmart and has been unable to return to work.
“This case is the epitome of what we consider part of our Core Culture and broad vision – which is to be Warriors for Justice,” stated Brian LaBovick. “Mr. Jacobus has serious permanent injuries and will continue to fight to regain his life into the foreseeable future. This verdict will allow him to get the professional help he needs to safely navigate the rest of his life.”
Medical malpractice
MEDICAL MALPRACTICE
$15 MILLION
Brain damages child due to medical negligence. Mother was misdiagnosed upon entry to the hospital while under contractions. The child was born severely disabled.
