Wanted to take a minute to let everyone know today (yesterday for some of you) is World Lupus Day. It is the one day where I and others do what they can to spread the word about this terrible disease.

For those of you who don't know what Lupus is, this is it in a nutshell. Lupus is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissue, causing disabling pain and damage to organs, such as the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain. In an autoimmune disorder like lupus, the immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against itself.

Since the body attacks itself and the symptoms can range from a simple skin rash to organ failure this disease can be very difficult to diagnose. You can have it for years and not even know it.

There is no cure for Lupus. Only treatment. Many people live fairly normal lives after the diagnosis with the proper treatment. Unfortunately for some, many of the treatments do as much harm to the body as the disease does. Lupus can go into remission but it can also continue to worsen as the years go on, sometimes leading to death either directly or indirectly from Lupus related complications to something as simple as a cold.

I'm not going to go on (I could  ). Just doing my part to get the word out there.

5 million people world wide have it. Over 100,000 new cases are diagnosed every year (most of which are women between 15 and 45). If you know somebody who has a combination of the following symptoms I encourage you to get them tested for Lupus.  (xx percent is the percentage of people with Lupus who experience the condition listed)

    * Achy joints / arthralgia (95 percent)
    * Fever of more than 100 degrees F / 38 degrees C (90 percent)
    * Arthritis / swollen joints (90 percent)
    * Prolonged or extreme fatigue (81 percent)
    * Skin Rashes (74 percent)
    * Anemia (71 percent)
    * Kidney Involvement (50 percent)
    * Pain in the chest on deep breathing / pleurisy (45 percent)
    * Butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose (42 percent)
    * Sun or light sensitivity / photosensitivity (30 percent)
    * Hair loss (27 percent)
    * Abnormal blood clotting problems (20 percent)
    * Raynaud's phenomenon / fingers turning white and/or blue in the cold (17 percent)
    * Seizures (15 percent)
    * Mouth or nose ulcers (12 percent)

If you would like any more information please feel free to PM me or visit the Lupus Foundation of America's website

Thanks

Rick