After what he has been through in the last few years, Paul Wellman looks at life a lot differently now.

Diagnosed with Lupus in his late 20s, and then hit by a mild stroke a year ago in his sleep, which left him partially paralysed on the left side of his body, Mr. Wellman is blessed to be living.

He was taken out of Bermuda by air ambulance after the stroke and spent two months in a Boston hospital learning to walk again.

"I see life a lot different, to be honest," said Mr. Wellman, 34, who suffers from Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the most severe type of Lupus which can affect almost any organ or system of the body.

As a result of the illness, he tries to avoid extreme stress, which is known as one of the factors in triggering Lupus.

"If it doesn't get done today, it will get done tomorrow", is how he prefers to look at situations. "I had one foot in the grave."

Mr. Wellman was building his house when he was diagnosed with Lupus. He thinks the stress of working various jobs, including his main one as a ferry boat pilot, and then working on the house in his spare time probably contributed to the illness.

"He first started having butterfly rashes on his face which wouldn't go away, and then his face swelled up like Elephant Man and he lost his hair," explained his wife Joanne who is living through the ordeal as the spouse of a Lupus sufferer.

"He kept going to doctors and they didn't know what it was. He had it for six or seven years but has only been diagnosed for four-and-a-half years. It's been aggressive ever since, really, with a lot of break-outs.

"I think it was the stress of the house that brought it on. He was working full-time and then was working on the house until some hour and his body was run down. He was about 27, 28.

"He used to be a very good pilot but the frustration of people not understanding that he was sick finally got to him and he quit...after 16 years. A month-and-a-half later he had the stroke. He was totally stressed out. Stress brings on flare-ups and if you can stay away from stress you can manage it a bit better."

Affected in the prime of his life, Mr. Wellman's first reaction was one of anger.

"In dealing with Paul and his illness I would say he was in denial for a long time," said his wife. He was young and strong and there was no way he was supposed to be getting sick. He was doing his house and starting to get his life together. Fortunately, I work in the Post Office with Margaret (Wade, president of the Lupus Association of Bermuda) so I was able to go and talk to her and that's how Paul was able to come and join the group. I found my refuge in the church as well."

Mrs. Wade said: "The way he was reacting, I reacted also so I was able to share with her that that is the norm and to hang in there."

Mrs. Wellman is also a member of the Lupus Association and through their support is learning to cope with the disease.

"I don't know where I would be without the Lupus Association," she admits.

"I have nothing but good things to say about the Lupus Association. They have been supportive of us and I would encourage anyone who has Lupus, or knows someone who has Lupus, to get in contact with us. You would be surprised at how much sharing helps. I definitely feel more comfort than before."

One of Mr. Wellman's biggest fears was that he would not live long enough to see his young son, Pjon, grow up.

The family was dealt a cruel blow when Pjon developed a kidney disorder a condition called Nephrotic Syndrome. Mr. Wellman was then tested and discovered that he, too, has kidney problems because of the Lupus.

However, there are no indications Nephrotic Syndrome is connected to lupus.

"My quest is to find out if Lupus is related to Nephrotic Syndrome and if it is going to progress to lupus," said Mrs. Wellman.

"They know my husband has Lupus but they haven't said 'ok, that's why your son developed Nephrotic Syndrome'."

Statistics show that only about five percent of the children born to individuals with Lupus will develop the illness, while onl;y ten percent of lupus patients will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already has or my develop lupus.

Mr. Wellman has grown considerably since being diagnosed with Lupus and is helping others learn more about it.

"It's like, 'I've got, deal with it, get over it and go on with life'," he says of his attitude now.

"Sometimes it can be hectic whereas I want to do things with my family or my son and I'm not feeling too sharp and that really gets on my nerves. Otherwise I just have to weather the storm.

"I try not to let Lupus stop me from doing anything. It's life threatening and if you don't take care of yourself and take your medication it can take you. I have to take medication twice a day, morning and night."

Mr. Wellman, a qualified diver, has made almost a complete recovery from the stroke, thanks to therapy at Massachusetts General Hospital and Spalding Rehabilitation in Boston.

"I didn't know the symptoms of a stroke, but with Lupus you are prone to having a stroke or a heart attack," he revealed.

"My ear got numb, then my shoulder, then my elbow and the night before the stroke my two middle fingers went numb."

Mr. Wellman went home and went sleep and woke up the next morning and could not move his arm. He called the doctor who told him to go to the hospital, which he did after first driving his son to nursery.

"They kept me there all day doing tests, cat scan, ultrasound, x-rays and couldn't find anything. They put me upstairs that night and the next day got up to use the bathroom and my legs gave way. That night they air ambulanced me out to Boston and after that they found the blood clot." Intensive therapy taught him to walk again and he amazed family and friends at his condition when he returned home.

"They were surprised when I came off the plane walking, they thought I was going to be in a wheelchair," he said.

"My determination was to come back and walk down the steps of the plane. My father is a taxi driver and word got out. Even the Customs Officers and baggage guys were surprised to see me coming in walking, because the word was that I was paralysed.

"Looking at me it doesn't look like anything is wrong with me, that I'm just a normal person. I like to say, 'the cover looks good, but inside the pages are ripped up'."

Despite suffering from the most aggressive form of Lupus and recovering from a stroke, Mr. Wellman refuses to use the illnesses as an excuse.

"I still have to put bread on the table," said the taxi driver.

"I've had four or five treatments of chemotherapy, and I'm allowed to have nine, but I don't even let that get me down. Depending on how it affects me after the treatment, the next few days I'm back out working.

He admits he is more concerned about his son's welfare than his own.

"My biggest fear is not being able to see my son graduate, or, after he graduates, not being able to see him become a husband and father," he stated.

"I want to show him the ropes and grow with him. We have formed a good bond. We're buddies. I'm a determined fella. I look at my son and I can see me in him, bull-headed, determined and independent."