Daniel J. Wallace, M.D., is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Gefen School of Medicine at UCLA based at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In The Lupus Book: A Guide for Patients and Their Families 3rd ed. Wallace provides an accessible guide to what can be a very confusing disease, providing up-to-date information and advice to living a happier life with Lupus. In the excerpt below Wallace looks at how marriages suffer when one spouse has been diagnosed with Lupus.
Darleen and George were happily married for 5 years when Darleen was diagnosed with SLE. George had grown up with learning difficulties and had had limited educational opportunities. Darleen tried to tell him what lupus was, but he didn’t seem to pay attention. When Darleen was put on steroids and gained 20 pounds, George made fun of her appearance. One night her joints were so swollen that she couldn’t even get into the car to go to George’s friends’ house for dinner. George said that her joints looked OK to him and started yelling at her. Over the next few months, George started drinking heavily and lost interest in sex. Darleen was scared to talk to him, and one day he just didn’t come home. (more…)
0 Comments on Lupus: Marriage, Family, and Sexuality as of 1/1/1990
Add a Comment