(Minghui.org) Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease for which there is no known cure. The disease causes the immune system to produce autoantibodies that attack its own cells and tissues, leading to the damage of one’s internal organs and subsequent complications.
Regardless of age, those with lupus face life-threatening conditions and will have to take medication for the rest of their lives.
Some people with lupus, however, have been lucky enough to recover from the disease after practicing Falun Dafa, a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline for mind and body. Below are their stories.
Recovery after Ten Years with Lupus
Ms. Barbara Gay lives in Missouri, U.S. She was diagnosed with lupus when she was in college. For ten years, she struggled from one day to the next, taking all kinds of medication. “Life was hopeless,” she said.
Ms. Barbara Gay
When Barbara was a child, she tried to commit suicide several times due to her mother’s violent tendencies. She was depressed and often sought relief in alcohol and drugs.
Because of constant fevers, weakness, and pain, Barbara was unable to work in her 20s and had to apply for government disability assistance to survive. Even worse, the long-term use of steroids to control lupus led to vasculitis, causing blood vessels to rupture. The fact that she had to rely on the help of others to survive made her even more depressed. Thoughts of suicide came to her mind several times.
Looking back, she said, “At that time, the only thing that stopped me from taking action (to die) was my daughter and my husband. I knew I couldn’t be so selfish.”
Barbara and her daughter in 1986
She decided to see a psychiatrist, hoping that would help.
However, her situation got worse: Barbara was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. In desperation, she began to wonder, “What is the meaning of life?”
A Magical Flyer
On February 6, 2000, Barbara went to the community library to try to find an answer. As she searched along the shelves, she saw a brightly-colored flyer tucked between the books. She pulled it out and saw that it was about Falun Dafa.
This was the blue flyer that led Barbara to a new path in life. (Screenshot from a video)
When she saw the three large Chinese characters “Zhen-Shan-Ren” and the English translation below “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance,” she immediately knew, “I have found it! This is the answer I am looking for.”
She called the number on the flyer and got in touch with the local practitioners. Soon she received a copy of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa. She said, “What the book said answered all my questions. I understood the reason for all the things that were happening to me. It was like I had woken up.”
Lupus Disappeared
Barbara was soon surprised to realize that the lupus that had afflicted her for more than a decade was gone! Three months after she began to practice, she completely recovered. She was full of energy and experienced the wonderful feeling of being illness-free. She was able to do whatever she wanted to and work like everyone else.
She said, “I didn’t expect to get well. I didn’t know if it was possible to get well. Surprisingly, I recovered so fast that it was almost miraculous.”
At the same time, the dark shadow of her early childhood years faded away.
It has been more than 21 years since Barbara started to practice Falun Dafa. Her greatest wish is for as many people as possible to get a flyer. She is often seen at different cultural exhibitions, healthcare fairs, and parks passing out flyers introducing Falun Dafa.
Lupus Patient’s Life Revived
Ms. Chen Guilan is a native of Zhucheng City, Shandong Province. She is healthy and full of vigor and runs her house well. However, her neighbor still remembers what she looked like before: “Her hair was thin. She was so skinny and bony that she could hardly stand up and could barely take care of herself. Chen Guilan is now a different person. ”
Around 1990, Ms. Chen began to hurt all over. The doctor treated her for rheumatoid arthritis, but the more she was treated, the worse she got. In time, she wasn’t able to work anymore.
Four years later, in the spring of 1994, she saw the doctor again. Her erythrocyte sedimentation was very high (120mm/hr), which indicated that she had an “active” disease, such as an autoimmune disease, cancer, diabetes, or a cardiovascular issue. But no diagnosis was made.
After the swelling went down, she became skinny and weak. She could not walk. Her family decided to take her to Beijing for treatment since her older brother worked at the Beijing Armed Forces General Hospital.
On July 15, doctors confirmed that she had lupus, which had damaged her liver and kidneys. Poor blood circulation from her waist down left her legs numb and cold. Her brother invited three experts to review her case, but none could think of a good treatment plan. The final suggestion was to amputate both of her legs. Ms. Chen said she would rather die than have her legs amputated. She chose to continue taking medication. She was discharged six months later on January 26, 1995. The doctor told her family that she had, at most, two years.
In the spring of 1996, Ms. Chen became even sicker and felt that her life was coming to an end. She thought it would be better for her life to end quickly to keep her family from going into debt.
In September 1996, she heard about Falun Dafa and that many who were terminally ill had recovered after practicing it. In addition, Falun Dafa was taught free of charge. She wanted to give it a try. She asked her two children to carry her to a nearby practice site.
She liked to listen to the lectures given by Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa. They made her feel indescribably relaxed. She started to eat more and sleep more. After she joined the group exercises and Fa study, she became a new person and no longer needed any medication.
When her brother told the doctors in his hospital that Ms. Chen had recovered, they couldn’t believe it.
(To be continued.)
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Category: Health Benefits
