Hello and Thank You for your time and reply. I am a 54yr old white male diagnosed with SLE in 1996. I have been under doctors care since then. I have had a spinal fusion, bilateral hip replacement, have chronic and painful skin rashes and constant joint discomfort, have had two heart attacks and continuous open ulcer type sores on the bottom of the feet. I have read that SLE patients have a 10-12 year life expectancy, is this true and are my doctors keeping something from me, I have had this for 14yrs, and if so do you think my body is reacting as expected or am I unusually different.