I thought it would be interesting to see famous people who have Lupus and how public react to them. See! Money can't prevent you from having Lupus. It doesn't take side. We just need to get people educated about Lupus Disorder!
Anna Nicole Smith
Read how her best friend revealed her secret to ET Click Here
Micheal Jackson Read More.... and read more here....
I personally think that people should leave Micheal Jackson alone or shouldn't be so harsh on him.
Will Smith, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tomiko put spotlight on Lupus Charity Event Read more...
Here is my favorite HOUSE scene. Doctors are trying to rule out Lupus diagnose. I think it is quite funny for me, as a Lupus patient to see because not too many people are aware of it. I really appreciate a HOUSE team on making an effort on labeling Lupus a common househole diagnosed name. Thank you HOUSE.
It could be LUPUS. Youtube video.
My Lupus Story - How did it happend?
Hi, my name is Ratcha and I have lupus. Welcome to my Lupus site. I am glad to be able to share my Lupus experiences with you. I have been living with this condition for almost 16 years. Living with joint pains and fatique are parts of me. It would be so not me if I don't wake up with achy and pain. I would be blessed if this happen! I would be so happy!
Once upon a time in Thailand, I took a crowded bus to school. It was very hot and humid as usual. I might have been in the sun and heat too long that I fainted right on the bus where I had to stand and hold on to the rail. I kneed down on the bus floor and tried to gain my strength back. Fortunately, I recovered quick and went right straight to the classroom. When I looked back to this incident, I thought to myself, hmm, this might have been my earlier Lupus sign. I was always weak and fatique in the sun which I didn't know why.
When I moved to the United States in 1990, I started to noticed gradually that I had lost a lot of weight. My knees would swollen, tendered and very painful in Summer and my fingers would get so cold and turned blue in Winter. Quite often, I ran warm water over my hands just to make them feel good. Then in the Summer of 1991, my husband and I went back to Thailand to visit my family. We spent some time on a beach and a lot of time outdoor in the sun light. I started to feel strage and very tired. On the flight back Maryland, I got sick on an airplane and I couldn't remember much of anything after that. We stopped in Seattle to check me in one of the hospitals. Doctors thought that I had Lupus. I didn't remember how I was treated. When we got to Maryland, I was admitted to a hospital right away and I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) with a doubt of central nervouse system involvement.
I had to face many challenges during college years. I would wear clothes that covered my arms and legs. I had to wear hat and sunscreen every time I left home. People would look at me when I took my pills after lunch in the cafeteria but I didn't care. They probably wondered what I was popping or what was wrong with me. Luckily, a lot of my friends and my teachers were awared of my Lupus conditions and they were very understanding and supportive.
When I was diagnosed with Lupus in 1992, I was a junior student at Baltimore City Community College. I was not quite sure what major would I be studied. When I got sicked and hospitalized for 2 months, it was cleared to me that I wanted to be a nurse. After a long recovery from a coma that Lupus gave me, I volunteered in the hospital and finished up my community college. In 1994, I enrolled in nursing program at University Of Maryland at Baltimore. Then in 1996, I graduated with my BS in Nursing. I have worked in nursing home and hospital in Maryland for the past 8 years.
Sharing my story with people like you is one way to help me cope with my conditions. I hope my story will at least help or inspire people with Lupus and family members and help them cope with the conditions. There is always hope and don't ever give up dreaming big! You have the power to change things. Your positive thinking will empower you to fight and win a battle.
I'm very fortunated that my Lupus is now in remission and I just got a good news from my doctor that my anti-dna level is normal. I am on very low dose prednisone now (2.5 mg). I used to take 20 mg of prednisone! For many years, I thought I'd never have a child of my own. With many helps from doctors and many intrauteral and invitro fertilization processes later, I am now a mother of two lovely twin girls. You can visit my blog I write about the twins at http://www.twiceasniceordoubletrouble.blogspot.com to see and read about the girls. They are my everyday joy and motivation! Now I just have to make sure I don't get too stressed out! Feel free to look around the site and let me know how I can make it better. Thank you for visiting, Ratcha.
Introduction to Lupus
The informations provided below are based on my knowledge of Lupus which I've accummulated over years from being Lupus patient myself. In addition I also have gained my understanding of Lupus through books, journals and from discussions with my physicians. If you find any of these informations are incorrected or misinformed, please let me know.
What is Lupus?
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder. What this means is that an immune system, our body's defense system doesn't recognize its own body, therefore unable to tell the differences between foreign bodies and itself, thus attacks it own cells and body parts. There are different levels of severity of Lupus but mainly there are 3 types of these conditions; Discoid Lupus which effects mostly skin and connective tissues, Systemic Lupus is more severe which can dammage major organs of body like brain, heart, lung and kidney and lastly, Drug-induced Lupus which is caused by certain drugs. Lupus occurs mostly in young female during child-bearing age. About 10% of all Lupus occurs in men.
What are the causes?
The exact cause is unknown. Genetic might contributes a great deal to the cause but there isn't a clear proof.
What are some of the common symptoms?
The most common symptoms include fatique, joints pain, swellen knees, butterfly rashes on the cheeks, cold hands and feets. Lupus can mimic number of disorders and it is quite easy for doctor to miss diagnose Lupus.
How do I know if I have Lupus for sure?
If you have symtomps mentioned above and you are not sure whether you have Lupus. You can ask your doctore to get a simple blood test for anti-DNA antibody(anti-double strain DNA) test.
What is the treatment for Lupus?
Usually treat with antimalaria drug (no one knows why it works) and immunosuppressive such as prednisone and other anti-inflammatory drugs such as Ibuprofin and Dapro. In a severe condition may require chemotherapy. Lupus is incurable, but it is treatable. You can live pretty comfortable with the right treatment and proper life style management.
How can I minimize the flare up of Lupus?
Rest when you feel tired, don't over do it. Avoid direct sun exposure if possible. Wear sun-screen, hat and long sleeve tops when going out door. Sun light can really aggrivate Lupus to flare up and it can worsen rashes on your face as well.
These are just some of the main highlight of Lupus that I think most people should be aware of. Please visit Lupus Foundation site to get more details and informations on Lupus. I have added some lupus related links on the bottom of the page here for further information.
