~: LFA - On the Road to a Cure

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

LFA - On the Road to a Cure

You need to check out this wonderful blog. I will also link this blog on my website www.SimplyStrungtogether.com as well. http://lfa-inc.blogspot.com/ This blog is full a information that is fantastic!

Isn't it wonderful that a disease like Lupus (or any other disease for that matter) can bring strangers together that we might now have otherwise met. I guess you could call that looking on the bright side of things!

At any rate, one of the topics that is listed on this blog hits to the heart of the issue...research. The topic is Lupus Foundation of America Urges Department of Defense (DoD) to Expand Medical Research on Lupus. This is one of the things I am trying to raise money for. I don't know about you...but I need a cure.
Til next blog...take care Lupus Buddies

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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 23, 2009