#125 - American Idol: You Go, Girl!

American Idol contestant, Leslie Hunt, puts lupus in the spotlight:

Read her bio here:
America Idol Season Six Top 24 Contestant Leslie Hunt

#124 - Multiple Sclerosis Scare - Part 2

My friend, Karyl, suggested that I go ahead and blog the following e-mail that I had sent to her and another friend:

"No more MS scare news.I had been really upset and Jerry finally figured out what was bothering me yesterday.

He has so much on his shoulders already, I did not tell him how shook up I was from the rheumy appointment.

Anyway... he was there with me and heard things different than I did.I have to go to an ears, nose, throat specialist first. There is a mass in both sinuses (probably cysts) and that has to be taken care of pronto.

Then...we will switch over to the new neurologist who specializes in MS. The P.A. was not stating that I may have MS. Jerry had told her how badly the other neurologist was treating me and she suggested switching over to this fellow.

I heard MS and heard nothing else.

So I need to revise my blog. I thought about deleting the entry, it was horribly melodramatic in retrospect...

but, it's real. This is still what we go through...

so I need to just write about how I misunderstood and put that in the context of the emotional roller coaster we live with from all the specialist shuffling around."

*******************************
It's the truth. I over-reacted to hearing the words multiple sclerosis during an office visit.

And I felt really embarrassed after I had posted the blog entry about my very real initial reaction.

I have been writing about this journey with lupus for three and a half years now...

and I try to keep it real.

So I was really, really scared, I wrote about that, and learned a few days later that I had flipped out over two words. I heard the words out of context.

This alone might encourage some of you to always bring a trusted companion to your physician appointments. If I had not had my husband with me...

I would probably still be in panic mode.

And for those of us who have been living with lupus for awhile now...

I guess this goes to show that living with the unpredictability of this disease is not always easy.

Now for the update...

I have not been doing well at all. My little guy has been on a long vacation, we had a family celebration recently, and the usual kids runnning through the house visit that goes with having your little boy on vacation.

This time around, I went through the vacation without respite care...

not something I would recommend for parents with lupus and young children.

So, I am on bed to couch rest, back with the migraines, and waiting to see an ENT this Friday.

I have been too ill to paint Winga's World and I am slowly, slowly getting back up to speed with writing.

Hubby and I are both concerned that I am going to need surgery...

but, I have already died a million little deaths over panicking about bridges I have not crossed...

or bridges I may never cross.

So, with all the emotional upset I created for myself in the past few weeks...

I am back to remembering how I must live...

one moment at a time.

For all of you who have sent me loving support, kind messages and e-mails...

I express my gratitude. I have tried to make sure I responded to everyone, but if I have missed the mark...

please be patient...

I will make sure you hear from me soon.

Today's entry is not a bid for support, or sympathy, or anything like that.

Just sharing the journey and offering others an opportunity to do likewise.

If you have a similar experience to share, feel free to post it in comments...

or post in your own blog and provide us with a link.

#123 - Politician Taunts Citizen with Parkinson's Disease

#122 - Dr. Doom Tells It Like It Is

MySpace pal, Dr. Doom has a righteous rant today that any of us with lupus can understand:

I @!*&ing Hate Lupus

#121 - What the Heck Just Happened... MS and/or Lupus?

Thursday was rheumy day.

For the unitiated...

rheumy stands for rheumatologist, the specialist who usually treats people with lupus.

This last office visit felt pretty routine until I got in the car with my husband and started thinking on the way home:

"What the heck just happened?!"

Yes, it was one of those type of appointments.

I have been given a referral to a sinus specialist...
which has been expected.

But, I also am going to be referred to ANOTHER neurologist...

this one an expert on multiple sclerosis...

also known as MS.

Being my usual blunt self, I asked during the rheumy visit, "Do you think I have MS?"

"Oh...

no, no, no...

but, you should really consider seeing this neurologist," replied the physician's assistant.

So, I am exhausted during this office visit. The car ride alone knocks the tar out of me. My husband is in the office with me, speaking up for me when I can't.

The Physician's Assistant, who has been with me going on four years now, has a look on her face, that I recognize.

"The Look"

That's the one you get from medical professionals when they are taking you VERY seriously, and there is no doubt that something worrisome is on its way.

I know I am backsliding.

I know that when I speak, I sometimes sound "off".

I realize that I have tremors and spasms.

I have darn near bit my tongue tip off when my jaw decides to slam shut for no apparent reason.

I am very well aware of the fact that the rheumy has been prescribing medications used for patients with MS.

And my mind is not the mind I had ten years ago.

The race horse brain that I used to easily race up and down through many a thought and idea... is now a mere pony traipsing through an itty bitty corral.

I know something is wrong.

And I did not give it one ounce of attention during the office visit and the testing and the bone scans and the talk of medications and the further appointments that will be required.

I got in our car totally devoid of emotion...

and so exhausted that I immediately started to doze during the 45 minute ride home.

And I awoke with a start halfway on that trip home, nauseous and mind reeling.

I know this feeling... it is fear.

This awful feeling of my body saying "I can't stomach this."

But, I will.

Jerry buys lunch in the drive through as he rushes me home. He has to get back to his job.

And I eat because my body demands food after several blood draws... it says "Hurry up and feed me!"

The afternoon is busy...

the cleaning helpers come through our little cottage, filling it with bustle and noise...

no time for me to think about the morning appointment.

And then Little Bear flies off the bus and into my arms, excited about school.

A belated Valentine's party, his birthday the next day, and dealing with a behavior oopsie that needed some guidance from a worn out and confused Mommy.

And before I know it the day has slipped through my hands...

and I know I must say something to Jerry before my mind goes blank and I forget what has happened this day.

In the kitchen, in the midst of the first quiet of the day...

I tell him...

"If I really have MS..."

"Yes?" he asks.

"If I really have MS... I don't want to know about it."

And Jerry tries to talk sensible to me.

But, I am not in the mood to be sensible.

I am in the mood for living
and celebrating my little boy's birthday the next day.

I am in the mood of forgetting.

I am in the mood to refuse to lose any more ground than has already been lost.

I have no more room in my life for one more hurdle to climb over.
As far as I am concerned...

a hurdle NOT of my own making.

I laid down in bed that night and recited my prayers like I always do.

But, I did something that I have not done since I can not remember when.

I just prayed:

"Dear Jesus...

please, please, please...

heal me."

#120 - Michele's Lupus Chat Fun Newsletter

Here is Michele's Newsletter for AOL Lupus Chat. If you are not an AOL user and you would like to join in, please contact me and I will see what I can do to help you join up.

Readers may also want to consider subscribing to Michele's weekly newletter. She provides loads of great information, links, lupus tips and fun artwork.

Unfortunately, all of that fun stuff gets lost when I repost her e-mails on the Life Beyond Lupus blogs.

Thanks again, Michele, for volunteering your time and talents!

:)


As headers go, I think this one gets the most annoying vote. It is supposed to be for valentines I think but I am using it for healthy heart month to remind all of my friends to be tested for heart disease. The fact that it is aggravating is just a bonus. Another storm has left the area and we are still without winter moisture. I see the terrible numbers of inches in the north and I just wonder why snow just can't be spread out evenly like icing on a freshly baked chocolate cake. That we we all could enjoy a piece and no one would get fat.


Wait a minute I have to tell Jack he has phone call. You know I don't really give a Jack if he gets it or not! ooops! sorry, I get distracted. You see I was just reading Anney's game and there are soooooo many Jacks, I am getting so confuzzled again. Needless to say Jack is on my mind because tonight we will be putting Jack in his place!!!!!! Where that is, what that is , or who that is , well you will have to figure that out, Anney can't do everything.

Here's the deal......

We meet in the lupus room at 7 p, est tonight and have a try at it. No googling Jack in the meantime or you will be sent to the corner. I will bake a baked Alaska for my friends from the north even though they didn't share the snow. Maybe the glow will warm the room a bit. We do need someone to volunteer for hot chocolate. Someone (dave and connie) emptied all we had in the corner and made airplanes out of the packets. .....

Well at least the company will be warm and glowing. I promise fun and laughter if YOU promise to show up.

Lupus Chat




Jeanine sent us this about life and aging. I know all of us are far from old age, but we sure can learn a lot from this writing...

Old age, I decided is a gift. I am now,
probably for the first time in my life,the person I have always wanted to be.

Oh, not my body!
I sometimes despair over my body ... the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt.

And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror,
but I don't agonize over those things for long.

I would never trade my amazing friends,my wonderful life, my loving family
for less gray hair or a flatter belly.

As I've aged,I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself.

I've become my own friend.
I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant-garde on my patio.

I am entitled to overeat, to be messy,
to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood
the great freedomthat comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read
or play on the computer until 4 a.m., and sleep until noon?

I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's, and if I, at the same time,
wish to weep over a lost love... I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit
that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances
from the bikini set. They, too, will get old.

I know I am sometimes forgetful.
But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. and I eventually remember
the important things.

Sure, over the years, my heart has been broken.
How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when a beloved pet has to be put to sleep or
gets hit by a car?

But broken hearts are what give us
strength and understanding and compassion.

A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.


I am so blessed to have lived long enough
to have my hair turn gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched
into deep grooves on my face.

So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

I can say "no", and mean it.
I can say "yes", and mean it.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive.
You care less about what other people think.

I don't question myself anymore.
I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer your question,
I like being old. It has set me free.

I like the person I have become.
I am not going to live forever,
but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be.

And I shall eat dessert every single day

Oh!! ,' how I am learning to LOVE my
Golden Years.
Free at last, Free at last to just be me.

Le sends us another way to get our psyches back in order and does it using one of my favorite friends, the mayonnaise jar. With dealing with Lupus and these other diseases we need all the help we can get. Thanks, Le!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee>

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24
hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the
2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in
>front of him . When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very
large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
>The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
>jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas
>between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was
>full. They agreed it was.>>>>

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
>Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the >jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous "yes.">>>> The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the
table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the
empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

>>>> "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to
>recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
>important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your >friends and your favorite passions-and if everything else was lost and
>only they remained, your life would still be full.
>> The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house >and your car.
>The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into
>the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the
golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy
on The small stuff you will never have room for the things that are
>important to you.>>>>

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play
>with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your
spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house >and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that
>really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
>
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee
>represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked."
>
The coffee just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem,
>there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."

Did anyone check out the Lupus Foundation's live chats?
They have been really informative. If you prefer the slow and casual read you can check out the transcripts at the Lupus Foundation site. The two upcoming one sound like ones that I am interested in listening in on.

Hope to see you there. If you have any questions about how to submit a question contact me.





Other Upcoming Chats

Tuesday,February 27
3:00 p.m. Eastern
Susan Manzi, M.D., M.P.H.
University of Pittsburgh
Cardiovascular Disease in Lupus




Wednesday, March 7
3:00 p.m. Eastern
Robin Brey, M.D.
University of Texas
Central Nervous System (CNS)Involvement in Lupus




Anney found us another chart to keep us in tip top diet shape.

PLEASE SHARE THIS CHART
apples
Protects your heart
prevents constipation
Blocks diarrhea
Improves lung capacity
Cushions joints

apricots

Combats cancer
Controls blood pressure
Saves your eyesight
Shields against Alzheimer's
Slows aging process

artichokes

Aids digestion
artichokes
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Guards against liver disease

avocados

Battles diabetes
Lowers cholesterol
Helps stops strokes
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin

bananas

Protects your heart
Quiets a cough
Strengthens bones
Controls blood pressure
Blocks diarrhea

beans

Prevents constipation
Helps hemorrhoids
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Stabilizes blood sugar

beets

Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones
Protects your heart
Aids weight loss

blueberries

Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Stabilizes blood sugar
Boosts memory
Prevents constipation

broccoli

Strengthens bones
Saves eyesight
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure

cabbage

Combats cancer
Prevents constipation
Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Helps hemorrhoids

cantaloupe

Saves eyesight
Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Supports immune system

carrots

Saves eyesight
Protects your heart
Prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Promotes weight loss

cauliflower

Protects against Prostate Cancer
Combats Breast Cancer
Strengthens bones
Banishes bruises
Guards against heart disease

cherries

Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Ends insomnia
Slows aging process
Shields against Alzheimer's

chestnuts

Promotes weight loss
Protects your heart
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure

chili peppers

Aids digestion
Soothes sore throat
Clears sinuses
Combats Cancer
Boosts immune system

figs

Promotes weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Lowers cholesterol
Combats Cancer
Controls blood pressure

fish

Protects your heart
Boosts memory
Protects your heart
Combats Cancer
Supports immune system

flax

Aids digestion
Battles diabetes
Protects your heart
Improves mental health
Boosts immune system

garlic

Lowers cholesterol
Controls blood pressure
Combats cancer
kills bacteria
Fights fungus
grapefruit
Protects against heart attacks
Promotes Weight loss
Helps stops strokes
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol

grapes

saves eyesight
Conquers kidney stones
Combats cancer
Enhances blood flow
Protects your heart

green tea

Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Helps stops strokes
Promotes Weight loss
Kills bacteria

honey

Heals wounds
Aids digestion
Guards against ulcers
Increases energy
Fights allergies

lemons

Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy

limes

Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Controls blood pressure
Smoothes skin
Stops scurvy

mangoes

Combats cancer
Boosts memory
Regulates thyroid
aids digestion
Shields against Alzheimer's

mushrooms

Controls blood pressure
Lowers cholesterol
Kills bacteria
Combats cancer
Strengthens bones

oats

Lowers cholesterol
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
prevents constipation
Smoothes skin

olive oil

Protects your heart
Promotes Weight loss
Combats cancer
Battles diabetes
Smoothes skin

onions

Reduce risk of heart attack
Combats cancer
Kills bacteria
Lowers cholesterol
Fights fungus

oranges

Supports immune systems
Combats cancer
Protects your heart
Straightens respiration

peaches

prevents constipation
Combats cancer
Helps stops strokes
aids digestion
Helps hemorrhoids

peanuts

Protects against heart disease
Promotes Weight loss
Combats Prostate Cancer
Lowers cholesterol
Aggravates diverticulitis

pineapple

Strengthens bones
Relieves colds
Aids digestion
Dissolves warts
Blocks diarrhea

prunes

Slows aging process
prevents constipation
boosts memory
Lowers cholesterol
Protects against heart disease

oops, sorry about the chart lines!!!!

They ran off and I am running late and don't have time to run and fetch them. Just carefully read across and down and those of you that have double vision , ha ha ha ha . Sorry, I have it too so I was only being half mean but I HATE charts without lines!!!


Granny Donna (soon to be Granny with 10) sent us this article from the Post about a new promising drug, talk about good news!

New hope for lupus patients - baltimoresun.com

We knew smoking was linked to heart disease and lung disease but this is very disturbing, There are also articles on estrogen, kidney disease, and skin rashes being linked to a protein. Knowledge is power lupies, read all you can find and keep informed! This is the link:

e-Newsletter - Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.

I would like to leave to day with a word of condolence to three very special people in my lives who have lost three very special people in their lives this past couple of months. I know that I love my pets as much as I love the rest of my family, they have always been my constant companions through all the crap that lupus throw at me everday. I extend my deepest sympathy to Amy, Peggy and Carol. May your grieving soon lessen. May your pets always see the glow of your love. Hugs


Until next week....... Please keep sharing whatever you want to share, recipes, hints, articles, poems, jokes, anything within reason I will print, lol. The things without reason I enjoy reading anyhow.

Last chance to get on the cheat sheet. If you want to know the names of people while you are chatting and want them to know yours please send me your name or give me the OK to send yours with the cheat sheet. If you have not given me an OK you will not get a cheat or be included on it.
That's all folks

OUR LUPUS CHAT SCHEDULE
Sunday
Lupus Discussion Chat
8:00 PM EST
7:00 PM CST
6:00 PM MST
5:00 PM PST
SLE HLTH Marty
Room: AOL Lupus Chat Room

Monday
Lupus & Your Life Discussion
Chat(Two hour chat)
8:00 PM EST
7:00 PM CST
6:00 PM MST
5:00 PM PST
SLE HLTH Rdwolf
Room: AOL Lupus Chat Room

TuesdayLet's Get Together Lupus Chat
10:00 PM EST
9:00 PM CST
8:00 PM MST
7:00 PM PST
SLEHealth Scooby
Room: AOL Lupus Chat Room

Wednesday
Late Night Lupus Chat
11:00 PM EST
10:00 PM CST
9:00 PM MST
8:00 PM PST
SLE HLTH Marty
Room: AOL Lupus Chat Room

ThursdayLupus Fun Night Chat
7:00 PM EST
6:00 PM CST
5:00 PM MST
4:00 PM PST
HST HLTH ANNEY AND HST HLTH MICHELE
Room: AOL Lupus Chat Room

#119 - VALENTINE'S SPECIAL: Parenting with Lupus

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY to all of you who are cooped up indoors with your little ones and the bad weather!

(and, of course to all of my pals!!)

Anyway...

Little Bear and I are hanging out today in the Cozy Cottage and finding ways to trundle through the day without putting me into a major flare from exhaustion.

My cleaning help had to cancel because the weather is so bad here. And Little Bear was really sad because he was all ready for his school party today.

What to do?

So, he decided to open a "store" in his bedroom...

and has been happily busy making signs and cluttering his room one thousand fold.

In the meantime, I am online hunting down some fun Valentine's kid friendly sites for us to enjoy when cabin fever sinks in later today.

Here are some suggestions:

Valentine's Jigsaw Puzzle (Online Game)

Hearts and Love Coloring Sheets (Little Bear really likes this one. The sheets include the candy heart messages and blank heart outlines.)

Valentine Coupons (Child creates a coupon as a gift for a loved one.)

Valentine's Memory Game: Concentration (Online Game)

History of Valentine's Day (Links to a TON of educational sites. Perfect for home schooling or if you are feeling REALLY ambitious today.)

Valentine's Writing Paper (When you click this link, it doesn't look like much. But, follow the directions and you can create some really nice writing paper. Another Little Bear favorite!)

There's plenty more out there. The best search engine is "Valentine's Day Kids".

If the lupus is really knocking you down today, please be gentle with yourself.

Do not measure your parenting by the well planned acitvities, the perfect cupcakes, and what other parents do with their kids.

There is a goldmine of gentle love in laying on the couch with your child and watching cartoons together for the afternoon.
Requires no glue or scissors.

Just BE PRESENT for your child.

Even that is difficult when you are suffering in deep pain, but this is the gift that your child will remember.

One loving word, a hug, listening to your child's stories of the day... that's what kids need to feel secure.

*********************************
And for all of my pals who really do not like today's holiday here's a little something:

Top 10 Movies for the Lovelorn

#118 - My Online Store is Now Open!

Just wanted to let everyone know that my online store for WINGA'S WORLD is now open for business.

Just click the link below to start shopping:

http://www.cafepress.com/wingasworld

If the comic strip stuff doesn't suit your fancy...

go to Cafe Express' main page and use the search engine word "LUPUS".

There is a TON of great stuff for those of us with lupus and our loved ones.

ENJOY!

#117 - Helping Friends with Lupus

Helping Friends with Lupus
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Friends

MySpace lupus friend, Gail, has started her fund raising efforts for this year's lupus walk.

Please consider reading her post (below) and taking a moment to make a donation to support lupus research.

Like Gail, I have lost an online lupus friend this past year due to lupus nephritis, and am witnessing several more friends' quality of life and health degenerate as lupus takes control over their bodies.

Lupus treatment is getting better, but it is no where near what needs to happen.

If you were in a room with 100 newly diagnosed lupus patients, about 20 of them will not will no longer be alive in 5 years.
Or to make this really, really clear...

if you were in a room with 5 newly diagnosed lupus patients, 1 person out of those 5 may not survive the first five years after diagnosis.

That is just scary.

Loretta Kelly, B.S.Ed, M.S.W.

**********************************
Here is Gail's post:



The Real ..

Dear Family and Friends,

First off, I want to thank everyone immensely for all support last year with the 2006 Austin Walk with Us to Cure Lupus. In Austin, we raised over $45,000, 100% of which went directly to top notch worldwide Lupus research. Many advancements are being in the field thanks to this funding.

I think back to what Lupus was 30, 20, even 10 years ago, when a large majority of those diagnosed with Systemic Lupus died within 5 years of diagnosis, and I am so thankful the statistics are now more in my favor due to the type of research I am asking you to support.

Still, thousands die each year of Systemic Lupus, and on a personal note, I lost 3 friends and fellow patients from the disease in 2006.

There still are just not enough options for individuals battling Systemic Lupus, and complications arise. A fact that still holds true is that the last time a new drug was approved to treat Lupus DWIGHT D EISENHOWER WAS OUR PRESIDENT!

However, after a 50 year stretch without a major advance, there are finally some promising treatments on the horizon, such as the possible use of aggressive agents such as Rituxan, Orencia, Riquent, LymphoStat B, and Atacicept. These drugs are still under exclusive and difficult to get into clinical trials, but many patients, including myself, are eagerly waiting to find out if they will be the answer to a fuller, longer, less debilitating life. More research is needed though to find out more.

I am writing to you to thank you for any past support in 2006, and with hope that you will consider sponsoring me for the upcoming 2007 Walk with Us to Cure Lupus 2006.

The 2007 event will be in the Spring instead of the Fall, and will be Saturday, April 28th. I am hoping that the 2007 walk event will be even bigger and more effective at raising awareness, education, support, and funding for Lupus research.

My personal goal is to raise $4,000.

I am particularly proud to tell you that 100% of walk proceeds will go directly to research because the Alliance for Lupus Research Board of Directors underwrites all operating expenses. When you support and donate to Alliance for Lupus Research, you can be secure in knowing every single penny is going directly to accelerating the goal to find the definitive cause and cure for Systemic Lupus. 100% of all money is tax deductible,

This Walk is truly a meaningful event to me not only because I have been battling lupus since August 2004, but also because it allows me to do something about it.

This walk is an opportunity to gather the lupus community, along with our friends and family, with hope of empowering ourselves and increasing awareness. Together, we can raise funds to find a cure! Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person's own immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the body's healthy tissues and organs causing inflammation and life-threatening damage. 90% of all people with lupus are women, like me, in the prime of our lives.

You can support me and support Lupus Research by visiting my personal Lupus walk webpage
at
http://walk.lupusresearch.org/site/TR/450409468?pg=personal&fr_id=1550&px=1322556

Just click on the "Support Gail" button, or click on "Make a gift", and use your debit card or credit card. Donating through my webpage is fully secure.

You can also support me by mailing a donation. Contact me for more information . Please make all checks out to Alliance for Lupus Research, and put TXA 180,001 in the memo portion of the check. Enclosed is a self addressed envelope for your convenience.

Thank you in advance for your support to sponsor me and help support research into this devastating disease. Over 1.5 million people suffer from Lupus, including myself. 100% of your money will go directly to Lupus medical research. We can make a difference! Together…we will find a cure.

Sincerely, Gail

http://walk.lupusresearch.org/site/TR/450409468?pg=personal&fr_id=1550&px=1322556

postscript: This blog entry was originally posted in Life Beyond Lupus at MySpace. com. Just leave a comment or e-mail me if you would like to snail mail a donation and I will link you up with Gail in order to do so.
-Loretta

#116 - Why is the Blog Text So Gosh Darn BIG?

I am figuring that some of you who have been reading the lupus entries here must be wondering why I post in such large script.

Many of our lupus friends have vision problems, or fatigue easily from reading the computer monitor...

thus BIG PRINT with no fancy stuff around the text.

If you have any other suggestions to make interaction online easier for all of us...

please chime in!