Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
National Lupus Day 2012
I get asked all the time, "What is Lupus?" So in honor of World Lupus Day, I went straight to the source!
What is Lupus?
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (“foreign invaders,” like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”) and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
Lupus is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better). Lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.
Find out ways to raise awareness, by checking out the Lupus Foundation of America.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Know Your Status!
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, in 2010 more than 960 people were living with HIV in the Hamilton County area. And there are more than a million people across the country battling the virus today.
"It's like knowing if you're pregnant or not. It's just something you need to know," says Mark Treadway.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, in 2010 more than 49 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in the Hamilton County area. The same year, 10 people died as a result.
"The problem with HIV is identifying people with HIV, linking them into care and retaining them in care," says Dr. Jay Sizemore.
"That's why I volunteer at these things... it's not for me, it's for the people coming after me, and there are a lot of people out there. And 20% of the people out there don't even know they have it," says Mark Treadway.
- Taken from News Channel 9's article about the Awareness event.
This article was so well written that I brought it directly to my blog. While I normally discuss my current diagnosis, I feel that we can never do enough to promote Awareness, Testing, Education, and Prevention for HIV. I am also friends with Mark Treadway and have been a patient of Dr Jay Sizemore's, both quoted in the article.
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