Lupus Walk

Saturday, May 10th was the Lupus Foundation Utah Chapter's Walk for Lupus. My sister and I attended. It was an easy walk that anyone can do--so everyone join us next year! You can still donate if you want to (no pressure--we understand financial hardship) by going to my sister's website here

You can go to my fundraising website, if you prefer, by clicking on the place on my side bar, but most of the goal we set for our team is on my sister's website and our team goal hasn't been met yet but my personal goal has.

Here are some facts about lupus that we received on Saturday, for those of you who are asking, "What IS lupus?"

• Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. The immune system normally protects the body against viruses, bacteria,and other foreign materials. In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissues. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self."
• Lupus in NOT infectious, rare or cancerous.
• Approximately 1.5 million Americans and 5 million people worldwide have a form of lupus.
• Although the cause of lupus is unknown, scientists suspect that individuals are genetically predisposed to lupus, and we know that environmental factors such as infections, antibiotics, ultraviolet light, extreme stress and certain drugs play a critical role in triggering lupus.
• Ninety percent of the people with lupus are women. Lupus is more prevalent in African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians.
• Only 10% of people with lupus will have a close relative (parent or sibling) who already has or may develop lupus. Only about 5% of the children born to women with lupus will develop the illness.
• Lupus can be difficult to diagnose as the symptoms come and go and mimic many other illnesses. Some symptoms of lupus can be transient joint and muscle pain, fatigue, a rash caused by or made worse by sunlight, low grade fevers, hair loss, pleurisy, appetite loss, sores in the nose or mouth, or painful senitivity of the fingers and/or toes to the cold.
• Although lupus ranges from mild to life-threatening, and thousands of Americans die from complications of lupus each year, the majority of cases can be controlled with proper treatment.
• While medical science has not yet developed a method for curing lupus, research brings new findings and increased hope each year.
• The Lupus Foundation of America has a nationwide network of chapters and support groups providing support for patient services, education, awareness and research in the local areas.
• The Lupus Foundation of America is the nation's leading nonprofit voluntary health organization solely dedicated to finding the causes and cure for lupus. Our mission is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, support individuals and families affected by the disease, increase awareness of lupus among health professionals and the public, and find the causes and cure.

It is encouraging that the treatments available for lupus patients today are better than the options available to my aunt. We met a man who has been in a wheelchair, unable to walk, who can now walk because of recent advances in medical treatments. Although only ten percent of lupus patients are male, there was a whole family at the walk with t-shirts in memory of their father/brother/son/uncle who passed away just last year. We met another lady whose daughter has lupus and lost a baby at 7 months along because of it. She (the mother) has a related disorder--fibromialga (sp?)--so they are some of the unlucky ones that have more than one family member impacted by autoimmune disorders.

We have already experienced a great loss in our own life because of this disease. We hope that by supporting the Lupus Foundation, we can honor our Aunt Karen and prevent others from experiencing a similar loss.