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Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Another Great Site

I just got back from DC where I left my daughter for an internship for the summer. She is my only child...wow...how do mothers do it? Very very difficult. She graduates next Spring and she will most likely do an associates program there and go for her doctorate. I am only 4 hours away so that is definitely a plus.

While in DC I did a lot of walking and for those of you who have Lupus know how difficult that is. My legs are slightly swollen but not as bad as I thought. My joints are sore but what else is new? In the past, if I dare stay on my feet too long, I am guaranteed cantaloupes for knees! I am feeling very exhausted, part Lupus, part emotions. I am resting the rest of the afternoon for fear of heading into a flare. You have to pick and choose your battles with this disease. All said and done, I did pretty good!

I would like to share a new contact in which I will be partnering through my www.SimplyStrungTogether.com site. Please visit www.butterflylupus.com let me know what you think at ekada3004@msn.com. I think it is worth joining! Take care until the next post.

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About Lupus

What is lupus? Lupus (LOO-puhss) is a chronic, autoimmune (aw-toh-ih-MYOON) disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with our immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and other germs (“foreign invaders,” like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and our body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”). In lupus, our immune system creates autoantibodies (AW-toh-AN-teye-bah-deez), which attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
When people talk about “lupus,” they usually mean systemic lupus erythematosus (ur-uh-thee-muh-TOH-suhss), or SLE. This is the most common type of lupus. Studies suggest that more than 16,000 new cases are reported annually across the country.
Although lupus can affect almost any organ system, the disease, for most people, affects only a few parts of the body. For example, one person with lupus may have swollen knees and fever. Another person may be tired all the time or have kidney trouble. Someone else may have rashes.
Normally, lupus develops slowly, with symptoms that come and go. Women who get lupus most often develop symptoms and are diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45. But the disease also can develop in childhood or later in life.
For most people, lupus is a mild disease. But for others, it may cause serious problems. Even if your lupus symptoms are mild, it is a serious disease that needs treatment. It can harm your organs and put your life at risk if untreated. It is also helpful to arm ourselves with the correct information, find out all we can about lupus in order to fight the this "wolf". The butterfly symble represents the butterfly rash that some lupus patients have on their face.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009