Tips for men from a 10yr Survivor

Men statistically don't live as long as I have with cases of SLE as severe as mine. So I thought I would offer a few basic tips on how to get this far. 1. Hydrate! You must hydrate and hydrate well. You have to protect your kidneys. I began having chronic kidney stones a couple of years before I was diagnosed so I got a head start on hydrating. But this can't be overstated; YOU MUST HYDRATE! 2. Bad habits are unacceptable. SLE can attack any organ. No smoking, no drinking, no drugs. If these are a coping mechanism, find a new one. Try exercise while you are able. It will matter later. Get healthy early and stay healthy, as your flares worsen you will be less able to exercise and having that good health in the bank will help you in the long run. Why do you have to stop smoking to protect your kidneys? You don't. You do it to protect your lungs from Vasculitis. Respiratory Distress isn't pleasant, I went full code because of it. 3. Take your vitamins and eat your veggies. This isn't changing your habits, it's changing your lifestyle. If you can you might also guard against other auto-immune illnesses. I eat preventative diets for Gout and Diabetes. If you want a burger, just have Bison from Whole Foods as opposed to Wendy's. And you need to get all your nutrients, you'd be surprised at the strange issues that can arise from not taking a simple vitamin daily. 4. Avoid the urge to over-medicate. You are going to have to learn to live with pain. If you use heavy doses of strong pain medications early in your treatments you may render them ineffective by the time you really need them. And a day will come when you really need them. 5. Be as social as you can for as long as you can. When you find yourself sleeping in the living room because you can't climb the stairs with every medical gadget you would find in a hospital and you only feel up to getting out when you have to see your Doctors, you'll be grateful for every act of kindness and every friend who calls or visits. There you have my 5 easy steps to living long enough to die alone screaming in pain! Or maybe beat the odds? Some of have to right? Rob