So what is Lupus?
Lupus derives its name from the Latin word for wolf. The name "Lupus" is attributed to a 12th-century physician named Rogerius. He used the term to describe a rash he saw in his patients that to him resembled a wolf’s bite. The rash is a common early symptom of SLE and is today known as a butterfly or malar rash. (Source)
According to the Lupus Foundation of America,
Lupus is a widespread and chronic (lifelong) autoimmune disease that, for unknown reasons, causes the immune system to attack the body's own tissue and organs, including the joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood, or skin.
…
In an autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses its ability to tell the difference between foreign substances and its own cells and tissue. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self."
Sounds fun, right? Wait… it gets better. Lupus can be fatal and it is currently incurable!
To be clear, I hate this disease.
But there is some good news about this lousy disease…
Just 20 years ago, doctors didn’t have any idea what caused Lupus. Now we know there is some kind of genetic link.
The treatment of SLE and Lupus nephritis (kidney complications of Lupus affecting 50% of patients) has improved by leaps and bounds.
o According to one source: “During the 1950s, the 5-year survival rate among patients with lupus nephritis was close to 0%.
o Recently, with the addition of immunosuppressive agents, the 5- and 10-year survival rates are documented as high as 85% and 73%, respectively.” (In other words, I get to LIVE!)
When I was diagnosed with Lupus, virtually no one (including several members of the medical profession I encountered) had ever heard of it. Today, while there is still a lot of ignorance about the disease, awareness is growing.
So what can you do to help us beat Lupus?
- Learn the symptoms. If you or someone you know experience several of the following symptoms, it could be Lupus:
* Fatigue
* Joint pain
* Hair loss
* A facial rash on the nose, cheeks and chin
* Sun sensitivity
* Mouth ulcers
* Pain in chest on deep breathing
The sooner you get diagnosed and begin treatment, the better you can combat possible organ damage.
- Support research efforts. Advances in treatment have saved the lives many people with Lupus—including me! A cure for Lupus is possible but more research is needed. Visit Lupus.org to learn more.
- Encourage the people in your life who have Lupus. SLE is a frustrating, depressing, exhausting disease. Encourage your friends and family with Lupus to take care of themselves, get the rest they need and cut themselves some slack about things they no longer have the energy to do. Let them know that they can still have rich, vibrant lives with Lupus.
- Pray. God is bigger than Lupus.
For more information about Lupus, visit http://www.lupus.org/ or call
1-888-38-L-U-P-U-S.
Together, we can slay the wolf.
