Last fall, when the doctors first mentioned I might have lupus, my first thought was, "It can't be! Dr House said that it's never lupus!" My second thought was, "What IS lupus?" Systemic lupus erythematosus (aka, "lupus") is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system can't tell the difference between a good cell and a bad cell, so it starts attacking everything. Every lupus patient is different, each dealing with their own set of symptoms. For me, some of my symptoms include arthritis, rashes (which caused about half my hair to fall out), severe dry eyes, and fatigue.
Here are some facts I compiled from The Lupus Book, by Daniel J. Wallace, MD:
- In the United States, nearly 1 million people suffer from lupus. It is more common than better known disorders such as leukemia, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy combined. Those who develop SLE do so in the prime of life. And 90 percent of these sufferers are women, 90 percent of whom are in their childbearing years. Moreover, the effects of the disease disrupt family life and account for billions of dollars in lost work productivity.
- Lupus can be a very difficult disease to diagnose. Many lupus patients look perfectly healthy, but surveys have shown that newly diagnosed patients have had symptoms or signs for an average of 3 years.
- Research on lupus is also relatively underfunded compared to studies of other life-threatening diseases.
So, what can you do for Lupus Awareness Month?
1. Put on Purple on Friday, May 17 and tell people why.
2. Post facts about lupus on your social media pages.
3. Donate to help with lupus research.
(For more information, check out www.lupusawarenessmonth.org.)
