World Lupus Day- May 10, 2011

May is Lupus Awareness Month and World Lupus Day. This past year  Benlysta was approved by the FDA, which is a big deal because until now their hasn’t been a drug  approved specifically for  lupus.  It took over 50 years to get to this point.

What is Lupus from World Lupus Day?

Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune 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 your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and 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 your body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”) and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.

Every day, more than 5 million people worldwide struggle with the often debilitating health consequences of lupus, a potentially fatal autoimmune disease capable of damaging virtually any part of the body, including the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.

Vote For Me

I recently entered a writing contest over at Lainy’s Musings. I wanted to ask my readers to vote for my post which you can read here . I wrote about the reason I blog. I blog to spread awareness about lupus.If you vote I appreciate it very much

Click Here To Vote For Me

Help support Lupus Awareness by voting for me.
Thank You

Lupus Advocacy Day is March 3,2009

Hi my Readers could you help offer your support for lupus advocacy day. My Friend from The Lupus Foundation asked me to pass this on. Many People don’t realize just how serious lupus is,For more information go to Lupus Foundation of America. If you support me by pasting what’s below leave me a comment and I’ll put your link in my side bar for 1 month. Just let me know in a comment with the link. Thanks so much.

Even If You Cannot be in DC for LFA’s Advocacy Day, Here’s What You Can Do from the Comfort of Your Home
March 3, 2009 is the Lupus Foundation of America’s 11th Annual Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. Even if you cannot physically join us on Tuesday, there are still several things you – and your family and friends – can do to help raise awareness about the seriousness of lupus.

* Call your Representative and Senators and tell them to provide more funding for lupus research. To find your Senators and Representative, go to http://www.capwiz.com/lfa and click on the link “Call your Members of Congress Tuesday, March 3rd!” Then you will enter your zip code, and get the contact info for your senators and representative.
* Send an e-card. Raise awareness about lupus and the need for new treatments by sending your friends and family an e-card. Go here to send an e-card.
* Donate. With your donation we can continue to fund cutting-edge lupus research. Go here to make a donation.

Facebook
There is one very simple thing you can do in Facebook. Below is suggested text that you can use for your status on your Facebook account for Tuesday, March 3, 2009. Encourage your family and friends to change their statuses as well.

“YOUR NAME is encouraging friends and family to support the LFA’s Advocacy Day. Tell Congress 50 years without a new FDA-approved lupus drug is too long http://www.capwiz.com/lfa”

Twitter
If you have a Twitter account and are joining us for Advocacy Day, you can “tweet” your Advocacy Day experience. You might want to post updates such as “Heading to Capitol Hill now” or “Meeting with Senator Young.”

If you’re not able to be on Capitol Hill, you can still use your Twitter account to encourage people to call their Senators and Representatives, and raise awareness about the need for new, safe, tolerable, and effective treatments. Below are some suggested “tweets.”

“Support LFA’s Advocacy Day tomorrow. Tell Congress 50 years without a new FDA-approved lupus drug is too long. http://www.capwiz.com/lfa”

“Join me and call Congress and tell them 50 years without a new FDA-approved lupus drug is too long. http://www.capwiz.com/lfa”

Preparing for Thanksgiving

My daughter and I are taking a break from school this week. I have been looking foward to taking a break during Thanksgiving.In public schools they don’t give the kids a week of school. I bought some stuff to make chocolate chip cookies with my daughter. I hope I have enough strength to make cookies with her. We enjoy doing small things together. I am limited so we try to do what we can together. Today she is at her volunteer job which she does every week. When she first started volunteering she wasn’t sure she’d like it, but she really does love it now. Its funny because she does not like reading at all, but loves to volunteer at the library. I hope I don’t have a flare this week. I hope everyone has a safe Holiday. Happy Thanksgiving.

Living with Hair Loss from Lupus

Lately, I’ve noticed that my hair is falling out more then usual. I think it’s probably because the lupus is active again. Living with lupus is hard enough without running my hands through my hair and it comes out my hands. It’s very frustrated seeing my hair fall out. I have a bald spot so I have to comb my hair a certain way. It’s really annoying having hair loss. I know one of my medications has a side affect of hair loss which is very frustrating. Looking for a Hair Loss Product that works without the expense of a prescription is helpful. You don’t have to pay high prescription drug costs for medications. It was embarrassing to me when someone noticed where I am loosing my hair. It makes me feel like an old man at times. Some of the side effects of having lupus are annoying. It’s hard enough to live with lupus without all the crazy side affects. The many choices are hair loss product helps me to find a product to meet my own hair loss needs. Of course, I have to check with my doctor before using any non prescription products. I can remember only a few years ago there wasn’t any option to help women who are losing there hair.

I got my Flu Shot and Have my Fingers Crossed

Tuesday, I went to get my flu shot. I hate shots so much. I guess after being poked and proded so much you get sick of needles. I am glad that its over, but I still have to get my pneumonia vaccine. When your immune system is messed up by lupus and its side dishes. Its a damned if you do or damned if you don’t. I get my flu shot each year because I don’t want to get the flu and end up in the hospital. I am also asthmatic as well. I’ve already had pneumonia and bronchiolitis in the past and I don’t want to repeat it. Last year I did get sick, but a  lot of times if I don’t get my flu shot I’m sick all the time in the winter

Flu Shot Time

Its that time of year again- Flu Shot Time. Every year I have to get my flu shot and I do not enjoy shots at all. This year I have to get my pneumonia vaccine again. I had my flu shot last year, but I still got the flu. They said the flu shots were only about 20percent effective. Hopefully this year the flu shots will be more effective. I am hopping to go and get one of them this week and the other shot in a couple of weeks. I don’t like getting the shot because I always feel bad after I get these  shots.

Are You Planning to Get your Flu shot this Year or are You taking Your Chances?

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Trying to Find a Cordless Heating Pad

I am having a lot of pain in my back lately. Its really annoying having to be hooked to a heating pad to get some relief. I am wanting to get a heating pad I can use without being attached to the wall. I’ve tried using rice and it don’t seem to keep the heat long enough. I have seen so many, but I don’t which one to chose. I need something that’s reusable. Those ones on TV are temporary and it would cost me a fortune to buy them all the times. I am really stumped about this.
Has anyone had any experience with cordless heating pad?

The Lupus and its Lies

The lupus and its lies.
It is full of so many of them.
It makes a fool of you many times.
You think its hiding and really its just waiting.
Its waiting to attack.
It thinks you’re its target.
You are a target that cannot run.
You have no control over it.
It keeps coming back for more and more.
It not only takes away health.
It haunts you like a bad horror flick
You try to turn on the lights and it does not good.
Its  the monster in the corner waiting to prowl.
You feel out of control because of it.
Its a crazy disease that has no rules.
You don’t know where it will go.
and when it will go.
Its like the worst annoying neighbor you every have.
But it never leaves it just enjoys playing hide and go seek.

My Favorite TV Show Army Wives

One of my favorite TV shows is Army Wives. I enjoy watching the lives unfold on Army wives. It allows me to get my mind away from the struggles with lupus everyday.Trevor and Roxy are a cute couple on the show. In last season they portrayed them as the ideal couple. This season they through in a dose of Trevor having an issue with pain killers. I hate seeing people struggle with addiction of any kind. Its something I’ve seen a lot of people struggle with it. It has its way of tearing an entire family apart in the blink of an eye. Army Wives is portraying the life of a family struggling with a family members addiction well. The drama of the Army Wives is something that everyone needs to see. Its a great awareness of the wars and how they struggle with life. Many people forget that our soldiers have the same struggles in life that we have.