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

June Awareness!

This month is:

☀ Men's Health Month

☀ Home Safety Month
☀ National Aphasia Awareness Month
☀ Cataract Awareness Month
☀ National Scleroderma Awareness Month
☀ National Cancer Survivor's Day (5)
☀ World Sickle Cell Day (19)
☀ National HIV Testing Day (27)
☀ Men's Health Week (13-19)
Happy Father's Day! 
The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

This week gives health care providers, public policy makers, the media, and individuals an opportunity to encourage men and boys to seek regular medical advice and early treatment for disease and injury.

Lupus Awareness Month

Lupus Star Foundation Website

Health Awareness (February, January & December)

February

❤ American Heart Month

❤ National Wise Health Consumer Month

❤ National Children's Dental Health Month

❤ International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month

January

☃ Cervical Health Awareness Month

☃ Thyroid Awareness Month

☃ National Glaucoma Awareness Month

☃ National Folic Acid Awareness Month

December 

❅ Safe Toys and Gifts Month 
❅ World AIDS Day (1)
❅ National Aplastic Anemia and MDS Awareness Week (1-7)
❅ National Handwashing Awareness Week (5-11) 

November Awareness

❋ American Diabetes Month
❋ COPD Awareness Month
❋ Lung Cancer Awareness Month
❋ National Family Caregivers Month
❋ National Healthy Skin Month
❋ Diabetic Eye Disease Month
❋ National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
❋ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
❋ Prematurity Awareness Month
❋ Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month

October Awareness

This month is:
❦ National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
❦ National Disability Employment Awareness Month
❦ National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
❦ National Dental Hygiene Awareness Month
❦ National Down Syndrome Awareness Month
❦ National Physical Therapy Month
❦ Talk About Prescriptions Month
❦ Respiratory Care Week (24-30)
❦ National Osteoporosis Day (20)
❦ National Mammography Day (22)
❦ Lung Health Day (27)

September Awareness

This month is:
❂ Childhood Cancer Month
❂ Fruits and Veggies - More Matters Month
❂ Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
❂ National Sickle Cell Month
❂ National Infant Mortality Awareness Month
❂ National Cholesterol Education Month
❂ National Yoga Awareness Month
❂ National Ovarian and Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
❂ Reye's Syndrome Awareness Month
❂ National Rehabilitation Awareness Week (19-25)
❂ World Alzheimer's Day (21)
❂ Family Health and Fitness Day USA (25)
❂ National Women's Health and Fitness Day (29)
❂ World Heart Day (30)


Stay aware of what is going on and educate yourself!!  

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

My Efforts To Spread Awareness

As you know, May is Lupus Awareness Month.  We all have unique ways to support and spread awareness.  I would like to share my advocacy efforts with you.  Everyday of the month I make sure to wear my purple awareness wristband.  I have also passed out over ten wristbands to friends and family.  I also wear my awareness ribbon dog tag as often as possible.  If you do not have any Lupus gear, get some.  At least get a purple or orange wristband.  I have both!!


What I did:
❃ I went to the Tigers baseball game on Monday May 10th, which was World Lupus Day.  I took my cure Lupus sign and waved it during the game.  I don't think that I got any TV airtime, but at least somebody saw it.  

❃ I attended the Lupus Alliance Health Fair and met other Lupus survivors and supporters.  I even got to meet one of my twitter buddies, who also works for the Alliance.  The Health Fair was informative and resourceful.

❃ I am in graduate school at Eastern Michigan University. I did a Lupus Awareness presentation in class.  I passed out information and discussed some of the key issues with Lupus.  It was surprising to me that a number of students knew someone that has Lupus, but still nobody knew exactly what Lupus is.  

I know I did not reach the entire world, but we have to spread awareness one person at a time.  My blog and social networking also serve as advocacy avenues. You are probably spreading awareness and you don't even know it.  Each person that learns about Lupus makes an impact. 

Simple things that you can do to spread awareness :
~ Wear a Lupus wristband or t-shirt
~ Put a Twibbon on your Facebook or Twitter profile picture
~ Mention Lupus on your social networking sites
~ Explain the illness to people whenever you get a chance
~ Become a member of organizations and use their resources
~ Share your story (email me if you would like to share)


You can make an impact!  Spread Awareness with me!!
Search Amazon.com for lupus awareness Search Amazon.com for lupus 

QUICK FACT 8

It's Fibromyalgia Awareness Day! 


People with Fibromyalgia have similar symptoms to those of us with Lupus and arthritis.  What is Fibromyalgia?  It is a rheumatic condition with characteristics of widespread muscle/joint pain, fatigue and other symptoms.  Fibromyalgia is often misdiagnosed and misunderstood just like Lupus.  This illness can lead to depression and social isolation as well.  


More than 12 million American have Fibromyalgia.  Women are ten times more likely to get this disease than men.  Symptoms of Fibromyalgia are abdominal pain, anxiety and depression, chronic headaches, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, stiffness, IBS, tingling in fingers and feet, hypersensitivity to heat or cold, inability to concentrate, dryness of eyes, mouth and nose, and incontinence.  This disease is a diagnosis of exclusion.  Meaning doctors rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms.  


Sound familiar?  Please share your Fibromyalgia and Lupus stories.

World Lupus Day

We all know that May is Lupus Awareness Month, but today just happens to be World Lupus Day.  We ask everyone to wear Purple or Orange to spread awareness and support of Lupus.  You can find information on www.worldlupusday.org.  Many regions around the world are celebrating World Lupus Day in their own special way.  Below you will find information about how the United States (Lupus Foundation of America) is spreading awareness on World Lupus Day.  


Group: Lupus Foundation of America -- National OfficeEvent:  World Lupus Day is just one of the featured events in a month-long observance of Lupus Awareness Month in the United States. As part of the observance, the  LFA is engaging constituents through its social networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the LFA Blog to secure commitments by individuals and organizations to do one thing to raise awareness of lupus. The LFA has developed two eCards and is urging people with lupus to Send an ecard to 10 friends on May 10.  We're also are asking people worldwide to make a commitment to Band Together for Lupus by signing an online petition that already has exceeded its original goal of 5,000 signatures, which now has been doubled to 10,000.  Likely that goal will be increased again as momentum continues to build to engage people from all walks of life to help raise awareness of lupus.  The LFA will conduct The Butterfly Gala,  Seventh Annual National Awards Dinner on May 12.  Musicians Julian Lennon and James Scott Cook will perform, "LUCY," in memory of Lucy Vodden, Julian's childhood friend who passed away from lupus last year.  Julian's drawing of Lucy, made when he was only five years old, inspired Julian's father John to co-write one of The Beatle's most memorable songs,  "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."  Proceeds from the sale of "LUCY" are being donated to the LFA and St. Thomas' Lupus Trust to support lupus research.   
Date: May 10th, 2010Website: www.lupus.org


Personally, I will be sending out more e-cards and spreading awareness on various social websites as always.  I will also proudly wave my Cure Lupus sign at the Tigers vs. Yankees game tomorrow.  I will have pics tomorrow. Make sure you get your purple or orange wristbands and wear them proudly.  Also, sign the petition and send out as many e-cards as possible.  Let's Celebrate!!  Let's Spread Awareness!!
Search Amazon.com for lupus awareness Search Amazon.com for lupus t shirt

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.
  










   

May is Lupus Awareness Month!!

While most Americans are aware of the signs and health risks of breast cancer or heart disease, relatively few are aware of another significant health problem that disproportionately strikes young women between the ages of 15 and 45. The disease is lupus. Lupus is caused by an unbalanced immune system that can be destructive to any major organ or tissue in the body. Lupus can be very unpredictable and is potentially fatal. 


While more than 1.5 million Americans have lupus, many individuals still are unaware of the potentially disabling and life-threatening health effects of lupus. The disease is two to three times more common among African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans than among Caucasians – but no one is safe from lupus.


What is most troubling about the lack of awareness of lupus is that early recognition, diagnosis and proper medical care of lupus often can prevent or reduce serious health complications, such as heart disease, strokes, seizures, and kidney failure. 


May is National Lupus Awareness Month. Now in its thirty-first year, Lupus Awareness Month is observed to disseminate medically sound information about lupus, increase public understanding of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of the disease, and provide support, services, and hope to all people affected by lupus. (Washington, DC – LFA)


So lets band together and Spread Awareness.  We need support and a CURE!!!
To Join the Band go to http://www.lupus.org/newsite/pages/lupus-awareness-month.html


 











Cure Lupus Awareness Mug  Cure Lupus Awareness Long Sleeve T-shirt Large White

Save Second Base

I stumbled upon a cool Breast Cancer Research Fundraiser last night.  A friend and I decided to go out, but we had no idea where to go.  So we picked a street and went to the first bar that we saw.  When we walk in, we are bombarded with pink and white t-shirts.  What's going on???  Well it just happened to be a fundraising event going on, how COOL!!!  Save Second Base!!!  We donated, entered raffles, bought goodies, and met some great people.  We really had a good time.  Something told me to take my camera, and I am so glad I did.  

Remember this is a bar, so there was a lot of silliness going on.  A guy with balloons in his shirt, pictures of big breasts all over the place, and many more foolish things all in good fun for a great cause.  I really enjoyed myself at this event, and the fact that I was supporting Breast Cancer Research made it that much better.  We need to stick together and support each other.  Support and Spread Awareness!!!

Search Amazon.com for breast cancer awareness



Happy and Feelin' Good,
Simmi    

 

April Awareness

April is:
❤ Alcohol Awareness Month
❤ Foot Health Awareness Month
❤ National Autism Awareness Month
❤ IBS Awareness Month
❤ National Child Abuse Prevention Month
❤ National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month
❤ Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Month


Please share your story!!!