Lupus Fibromyalgia Disabled 46 Year Old UC Graduate Seeks Help To Save Home

by Kat Howard
(Snohomish, WA, USA)

I have had SLE (Lupus) for 25 years and have had several severe bouts with it, to the point of making final arrangements for care of my daughter and final wishes. I've fought back and re-invented myself several times after these bouts.

While raising a daughter on my own, I put myself through college, earning the Dean's Medallion Award in Math/Science upon graduating with an AA from Fresno Community College.

From there, I went on and completed my education with a BS in Environmental Toxicology from UC Davis. I started having a fair amount of symptoms of SLE while going to college.

I started my career, finally, at 29 years of age (my daughter was now 11 years old). I got sicker and sicker while working professionally that first year and finally had health insurance and was diagnosed with SLE (Lupus), Sjogren's and Raynaud's syndrome.

I was able to work from home and earn a comfortable living... make investments, save money... while battling this very uncomfortable illness. Finally over the next six years I got too sick to work, between the meds and the pain level.

I bought a house with the money I had made from my investments in 1997. While I was recuperating, I did little projects on my new home and did some gardening, bought a puppy and rested.

After a couple of years and getting off the meds, I was able to go back to work, this time in real estate, hoping the varied hours would work out better for me this time around. I did have several more bouts, which would knock me down for months at a time, but I was able to keep my career going.

Now, I have had to give up my real estate career. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia too about four years ago and have been battling the pain associated with that disease ever since, and the effects of the other autoimmune system illnesses.


I finally got social security disability, but have lost everything, all my investments, etc. in trying to keep up with the bills that I had no problem paying while I was able to work.

I am still single - it is quite difficult to be around someone who is in pain a good deal of the time. I just really want to be able to keep my house. I love the place. It represents peace and tranquility to my daughter and me.

Over the years I have planted trees and boxwood hedges, a flower garden with raised beds, built arbors and trellises.... it lives and breathes me.

At this point in my life, besides by lovely daughter and few friends who live nearby, it gives me joy... watching the different flowering bushes and trees bloom... being able to make bouquets from the yard.

My neighbor and I redecorated our houses and our yards together. I just don't want to lose my home.

We were very poor as a family when I grew up and never owned a home... and I'm very afraid if I lose this home I'll never be able to qualify to buy another.

I'm a little upside down in it financially due to the recent downturn in the real estate market and Wells Fargo hasn't been willing to refinance the first which is only 87,000 - my payment on that is over $1,500/month.

What do I do? I don't want to lose my home! Sincerely, Katherine Howard.

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