Lupus

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5 Ways To “Fight Like A Girl”!

by 31 Comments
Jan
29
2011
5 WAYS TO FLAG

It's a brand new year and I'd like to welcome you to the lupus corner of the Fight Like A Girl club! What does it mean to "Fight Like A Girl" you ask? It means to learn how to have the courage to speak up, to share your story! To battle against your disease and continue to have hope. To encourage others and soothe the soul. It means banding together and reaching out to a fellow sister regardless of the different illness that ails us because we are all fighting to live! Now that we know what it means to "Fight Like A Girl", let's learn how to do it! Step 1: Acknowledge it! First we have to acknowledge that we have an illness before we can take a step in any direction. This is sometimes the hardest step for most of us who have come back from the doctors' office with a shocking diagnosis. Take a deep breath, and exhale! We must come to terms with the fact that being sick is not our fault and we should not be ashamed because of it. Denial is extremely unhealthy! If you … [Read more...]

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Jingle Bells! (The Lupus Holiday Remix)

by 8 Comments
Dec
02
2010
jingle

Jingle bells, lupus smells...Prednisone stole my hair! *giggles* The rheumy thinks I make it up & now i'm having a flare! RAH! Yes lovies, lets all have a laugh! Delight in the humor of life because there are people all over the world who are going through tougher times than we are. Let's fight the lupus blues together this holiday season with laughter, cheer, love, and if you must a lovely dash of sarcasm! So lets all share different ways to beat the blues so we can all have a joyous holiday! Here are some of my favorite ways to spread some cheer: 1. Write a card/letter! There is nothing more magical than getting mail that ISN'T a bill from the doctors in the post! Make it fun, you can pick up some inexpensive paper & crafts from the dollar store and make your own card or purchase one. I like to write heartfelt messages & often tuck a little surprise in each one I send. That feeling of "long distance love" is irreplaceable! Pass the cheer! 2. Baking … [Read more...]

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I Am A Spoonie!…Are You?

by 17 Comments
Oct
30
2010
spoons2

Hello Lovies! I'm sure most of us can agree that explaining to others just how much our illnesses can impact our lives can be a difficult task. So we'll be discussing how to make it a bit easier for both sides! In effort to promote understanding; I'd like to shed some light on exactly what "The Spoon Theory" is. The great thing about "The Spoon Theory" is that it isn't solely designated for individuals living with lupus. It can also relate to just about any illness from fibromyalgia, to CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), and even cancer. It pertains to just about any "invisible illness". The Spoon Theory was written by a friend and fellow lupie of mine whose name is Christine Miserandino.  She wrote it in an attempt to shed some light on how her life is living with lupus to one of her best friends. So now without further ado; Here is THE SPOON THEORY! The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino www.butyoudontlooksick.com My best friend and I were in the diner, … [Read more...]

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I Spy A Lupus Warrior!

by 24 Comments
Oct
15
2010
Isabel Grace Webb, Inspirational Lupus Warrior

Hello Lovies! This month is an exciting one for us and, no, I'm not saying that just because it involves pumpkin carving,  dressing-up, and FREE candy! *giggles* For those who don't know, October is National Lupus Awareness Month! Even though we also share this month with Cancer Awareness, I believe it's important for all of us to stand up and use our voices to shed some light on this often over-shadowed illness called lupus! Lupus is an auto-immune disease in which the immune system becomes overactive and begins attacking the bodies healthy tissues because it cannot identify what is a virus/foreign invader and what is a healthy tissue. Although lupus is most commonly viewed as an illness affecting women, men and teens/children can develop lupus as well. It is said to be rare for children under 5 to be diagnosed but I have heard of many children and teens across the globe being affected by this illness! An estimated 5,000- 10,000 out of the 1.5 million Americans … [Read more...]

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The “Invisible” Lupie?

by 28 Comments
Sep
18
2010
The "Invisible" Lupie?

Hello again Lovies! A lot of us kicked off this week honoring National Invisible Illness Awareness Week (September 13th-19th) by sharing our own personal "30 Things You May Not Know About My Invisible Illness", which was a great way to share what some of our own lives are like living with a illness that is not always visible just by appearances! There are SO many ways to spread awareness about your invisible illness available, please take a peek at all the free ways you can help spread awareness HERE. I'd like to take today to SHINE a light on all the men who are living with lupus. Yes! Men have lupus too! It is often a common misconception that lupus is a "women's disease", however men can develop lupus at ANY age! For every 10 people that get diagnosed with lupus: 9 are female, and 1 is male. So often we find the various women living with lupus speaking out, being active, and demonstrating remarkable strength while the men also living with this illness are barely mentioned, … [Read more...]

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30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know !

by 58 Comments
Sep
13
2010
TiffanyAndLupus

Hello Lovies! I've been itching to write a post for "Invisible Illness week" ! Finally feeling up tothe task after some rough days with Lupus! Now, first let me explain just what "Invisible Illness Week" is all about! National Invisible Chronic Awareness week was created by Lisa Copen in 2002. She chose THIS year, 2010, for her "Each One Can Reach One" campaign which demonstrates how one person can help another, its completely anonymous unless the "do-er" chooses not to be. The beauty of it is that complete strangers are making a difference in the lives of those living with chronic pain! Of course I have to do my part and blogging for Invisible Illness is just one of them! I want to share some things about my own invisible illness that many of you may not have known. Knowledge is power lovies, and thats just one reason why we should all help to spread it! Each ONE can reach ONE! 30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know 1. The … [Read more...]

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Newly Diagnosed With Lupus? – So Now What?

by 37 Comments
Jul
27
2010
tiff

Hello Lovies! My name is Tiffany Marie and I'm a twenty-four year old luscious lavender butterfly living in New York City! Recently diagnosed with Lupus SLE this past January 2010. I can remember having lupus symptoms like joint pain and extreme fatigue as far back as six years ago. For many of us Lupus has always been a silent disease until that day we are struck with a severe flare up. The road has been rough, but I'm glad to finally know my health status after being in the dark about it for so many years! One of the biggest challenges I have come across after being diagnosed with Lupus was the attempt to share that knowledge and understanding with friends and family. How often have we been called "lazy, oblivious, slow", and many other painful names because of the misunderstandings of others not comprehending our body and battles with Lupus? It may seem daunting at first, but I've found thee best way to tackle it after much trial & error! The FIRST step is acceptance. We … [Read more...]

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