July & August Awareness

❤August Awareness❤

Children's Eye Health and Safety Month National Immunization Awareness Month World Breastfeeding Week (1-7)

☆July Awareness☆ 

UV Safety Month Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month Cord Blood Awareness Month National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness and Prevention Month International Group B Strep Awareness Month

July & August Awareness

July is:
回 Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
回 UV Safety Month
回 Cord Blood Awareness Month
回 International Group B Strep Awareness Month


August is:
☄ Cataract Awareness Month
☄ Children's Eye Health and Safety Month
☄ National Immunization Awareness Month
☄ Psoriasis Awareness Month
☄ Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month

Lupus, The Great Imitator

Did you know that Lupus is sometimes referred to as the Great Imitator? Lupus symptoms are very similar to those of several other common illnesses.  The most common symptoms of Lupus are fatigue, headaches, anemia,  joint pain, sun sensitivity, discoloration of fingertips in cold, fever, swelling, chest pain, butterfly rash, hair loss, blood clotting, and tiredness.  Quite the list in my opinion, but lets keep in mind that those are only the most common. 


Many of these symptoms can occur in other conditions and illnesses, such as arthritis, Lyme disease, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, pneumonia, alopecia, hemophilia and more.  This is why Lupus is called the Great Imitator, its symptoms are like the symptoms of many other conditions and illnesses.
 Full Article Here


I believe that this is also a reason that it is so difficult to diagnose Lupus.  When diagnosing Lupus doctors have to analyze multiple physical symptoms and test results.  The fact that every Lupus patient is unique (different combinations and severity of symptoms) increases the difficulty of diagnosing and treating the illness.  Lupus seems to imitate many illnesses.  Oh lucky me!! I get a taste of it all. I have even managed to develop the imitator (Lupus) and the imitated (arthritis).  Many of us have at least one other illness to accompany Lupus throughout our life.  All we can do is learn to cope and live life to the fullest.  Education is key!!  You should know what is going on with your body.  Take care and spread awareness!! 


With Love ღ
Simmi

QUICK FACT 10

✔Most people with lupus will experience joint pain without swelling. However, lupus is not a form of arthritis. (LFA)

Why Does the RAIN bring the PAIN?

Many of us with chronic illnesses and/or inflammatory diseases can serve as amateur meteorologists.  We can feel the rain coming in our bones.  I know I can.  When it is raining or about to rain, I feel joint pain.  The more it rains, the more pain I feel.  Sometimes my whole body feels tired and bogged down.  When I was young, I really didn't believe the old ladies when they said that their arthritis let them know when it was going to rain.  Now that I have my own inflammatory disease I totally understand.


So why does the rain bring the pain?  Well,  it is less about the rain and more about the barometric pressure.  As barometric pressure decreases, usually clouds begin to form bringing the rain or wet weather.  As barometric pressure decreases it also has an affect on the body.  If a joint is already inflamed, swollen or abnormal then the decrease in barometric pressure causes the gas and tissues to expand.  This is felt as more pain to us.


The body's joints have sensory nerves called baro-receptors that respond to changes in barometric pressure.  When the barometric pressure drops or is low, it signifies that the air has become moist.  This usually means that the rain is not too far behind.  People with arthritis feel the change more because they have less cartilage cushioning their joints.  It is true that people with joint pain know the weather before it occurs.  When the barometric pressure goes down right before a storm, their pain goes up.  The American Journal of Medicine found a correlation that supports this theory.  


Well, I know that I cannot stand moist, rainy, cold weather.  It makes me feel bad.  But at least now we all know why we feel this pain.  Unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do about it.  So my suggestion is to use a rainy day to relax, sleep and enjoy a nice cup of cocoa while watching your favorite movie.


Wishing you many Sunny days,
Simmi

May Awareness

May is:
✿ National Lupus Awareness Month
✿ National Arthritis Awareness Month
✿ American Stroke Month
✿ Clean Air Month
✿ Lyme Disease Awareness Month
✿ Hepatitis Awareness Month
✿ National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month
✿ National High Blood Pressure Education Month
✿ National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
✿ National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
✿ National Neurofibromatosis Month
...and many more.
  










   

QUICK FACT 2

✔ It is estimated that:
      1.5 million Americans have some form of Lupus.
      40 million Americans have some form of Arthritis.
      200,000 new cases of breast cancer in the US in 2009.

FLASHBACK #1

When I was diagnosed with Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis back in September 2005, I guess I didn't realize what a great impact it would have on my daily life.  I did't have alot pain at that time (just in my hands and wrists), but my Rheumatoid factor was like 260 (R factor in normal adults my age is <19).   Initially, the news didn't sink in, I'm like okay I have Lupus what next.  My mother was with me, and I don't think she took it as well as I did.  After a while, my feeling towards it changed.  I went from why me, to I'm too young to have arthritis, to there is nothing I can do about it.  I didn't even do any research, it was like  my friends and family cared more than me. Now I see it as an experience that changed my outlook on life, and I am ready to take it head on. ღ