How long has this been going on?

I've no idea how long I've had this illness but I guess a long time. My dentist had commented that my gums were different some time ago. It's not an illness that shows itself until its very advanced. I've had no infections for some reason or other, infact the infectionless state of my mouth has been commented on. I had antibiotics after my treatment in hospital this time and didn't develop thrush or anything like that. What's wrong as far as the first illness is concerned is that my immune system has just got something wrong and is attacking the substance that joins my cells together. I'm on steroids to stop this and hopefully give the immune system a chance to sort itself out. This particular illness sometimes rights itself. There are quite a few auto immune illness, most people seem to connect them to rheumatoid type illnesses probably because those are more common. My immune system is obviously working fine in other ways though .. it just has this one problem!!!!! A rather drastic one admittedly but it seems to be working ok apart from that. The illness doesn't clear up by itself but sometimes a while on steroids can stop it. And they'll keep it under control.

I guess it's been hovering for a few years though.
It could be a long time I suppose. You don't know until it reaches what would be the final stages if there weren't steroids to change the course of the illness.