Closing Out Lupus Awareness Month & Lupus Fact No. 31

Closing Out Lupus Awareness Month

Today is the last day of Lupus Awareness Month 2013.  Thank you for visiting and for your interest in learning more about lupus awareness.  Also, kudos to those of you who are fellow lupus patients and lupus awareness advocates helping spread the word about lupus.  Raising lupus awareness saves lives and productivity.  Early diagnosis and treatment helps better control the severity and mortality of lupus.

The following excellent video about lupus was produced about six months ago by the Lupus Foundation of America, and plays below through an imbedded link to their You-Tube page has this introduction to the video.

HELP US SOLVE THE CRUEL MYSTERY

“Lupus is a cruel mystery because it is hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, strikes without warning, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive and can be fatal, yet research on lupus remains underfunded relative to its scope and devastation. Join the fight to end lupus.” 

(Music by longzijun)

You can help through a direct donation to LFA

One of the important ways you can help is to make direct online donations to the Lupus Foundation of America through Lupus Adventurer’s LFA-sponsored fund-raising page at lupus.donorpages.org.  LFA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, so your donations will be fully tax-deductible under federal and state tax codes.  You will receive a receipt for your donation directly from the Lupus Foundation of America.

http://lupus.donorpages.com/Raise4Lupus/LupusAdventurer/

Last Daily Lupus Fact No. 31

Prognosis and Hope – Life Expectancy: Today, people with lupus are leading healthier lives and living longer than at any time in history, thanks to researchers who continue to discover more about the underlying science of the immune system.

Life expectancy is now longer!

When I was first diagnosed with lupus many years ago, this was not the case, and the prognosis that people heard after diagnosis with Lupus was anything but encouraging.

Today life expectancy for lupus patient is much longer, and the information available about lupus life expectancy is more accurate and much more encouraging!

To learn more about this lupus fact, please read my full post on this subject from May 31, 2012.

Off-line and headed out-of-town to family adventures

Shortly, we will finish our morning coffee, pack our car and head out-of-town to visit our son, his wife and our four grandchildren in a neighboring state.  Today is our son’s birthday, so we will be with them this evening and to stay and visit for a few days.

grandsons

We also look forward to spending a little time with my older sister and brother-in-law who live just a mile away from our son.  We have a date early tomorrow with my sister and her husband for early morning coffee and a chat on their back porch.  He has experienced some extremely rough health challenges, and we hope to be a small encouragement to them.

granddaughters

Our short trip should be a welcome mini-vacation break from recent long hours of work projects.  We anticipate full hearts overflowing with blessings from being with our dear loved ones.

Don’t be surprised if a few photos and comments make their way here from my tablet PC during the trip.  Normal posting is likely to be suspended until after we return in the middle of next week.