You know that I am not doing so good with the whole "lupus thing" when the depth of my writing is about television.
So it goes.
I have been battling big time with fatigue and a migraine cluster from h-e- double hockey sticks. I get one, sometimes two hours out of a 24 hour day in which I can function reasonably well.
That's it.
I would go hide under the bedcovers if lying my head down on a pillow didn't hurt so bad.
So I watch television, because when it is this bad... I don't write very well, I can't read... forget about sewing... well... I am just not a fun gal to be hanging with.
But, in spite of the "woe is me" complex... I saw something of import on television this evening that is worth reporting in the world of lupus.
Season two of Tyra Banks America's Next Top Model was having a run today on VH-1.
Season 2 features a drop dead gorgeous young lady named Mercedes... who ahppens to have lupus. In the episode I saw, she was stating that her hair was starting to fall out because of her lupus medications.
No small wonder considering that the girls are coached and drilled for 10 weeks (if they that last that long) in preparation for a finale runway show for the two best contenders.
Mercedes happens to have been one of the top two.
In speaking about her lupus during the time of the taping of that episode, she reported that she didn't tell people that she has lupus.
I don't blame her one bit.
She said she didn't feel like dealing with people asking her "How are you doing?" all the time.
I praise her for changing her mind, though, in being more forthcoming about her personal encounter with lupus.
She is now a spokesperson for World Lupus Day for the Lupus Foundation of America:
http://www.lupus.org/news/spokesperson.html
Good for her!!
If we all keep quiet and slink away to a quiet corner when the disease overtakes us... we will lose the battle against lupus for generations to come. People do not think about diseases like lupus unless someone is drawing attention to the reality of this disease.
I am not saying that everybody must speak up about lupus, but someone like Mercedes who is very much in the puiblic eye can do great good by adding her voice and image.
So Bravo to Mercedes... you are MY America's Next Top Model!
PICTURE CREDIT: http://www.lupus.org/news/spokesperson.html
2 comments:
Hi Loretta
My name is Lee-Anne and I also suffer from Lupus. I saw a rerun of the Mercedes lupus episode and was moved to tears for various reasons.
One because I could understand exactly Mercedes was going through in not wanting to have to tell people about your condition knowing that they wont understand.
As my symptoms cannot be seen (Unless I have lesions present) and I look pretty much healthy people either think I’m making it up and that there is nothing wrong with me. There have been times when close girlfriends of mine have gotten angry with me when I have told them that I am too tired to go out or do something for them despite me telling them that fatigue is apart of my illness.
While I was at university I also had such problems getting in on time and getting the work done as I had to take a lot of time off for doctors appointments and I simply couldn’t wake up no matter how early I went to bed; and despite me having notes from my doctor my tutors couldn’t understand.
When ever I feel sad or angry about my situation I’m immediately racked with guilt, I know that there are other lupus sufferers with symptoms much worse than mine some of which are even life threatening and I should feel lucky that my symptoms are only “Minor” as said by my doctor, and when I look at the bigger picture I do; however on a day to day do don’t feel so lucky.
I do however think that more should be done to raise awareness about lupus, and watching Mercedes on Americas Next Top Model and many of the blogs I have read yours included have lead me to understand that my hiding in the shadows helps no one.
Hope you can decipher my emotional ramblings.
Regards
Lee-Anne
Hi Lee-Anne,
I am so sorry that you have lupus. And your "emotional ramblings" make complete sense to me. I really understand what you are saying.
I will always be grateful that ANTM featured a lupus patient. We do not get enough media coverage in the entertainment world. The reality is that the majority lupus patients do not have the stamina to keep the schedule and maintain the pace required for celebrities.
I want you to know that this blog site is relocating. I will leave a link when it is ready.
Here is my Facebook site if you would like to write back and forth. I would be happy to hear from you.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1311737727
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