In honor of Lupus Awareness Month, I've dedicated this issue to those living with lupus and those who love them. I know other diseases and challenges touch many of you who read this, but I believe you might find some of the information fascinating and, hey, it is an awareness month and I want you to be aware! And on May 8th I'll be hosting a free live webinar,
Live Beyond Lupus: Five Steps to HappYness. See below for details.

At the conclusion of the speech I gave on Living Beyond the Limits of Chronic Illness, one of the lovely ladies in the back row of the audience raised her hand and asked a question I hear all too often, "What is lupus?" The reason I feel I hear the question too often isn't because I mind answering it; it is because I wish everyone knew what lupus is. Yes, we've come a long way in efforts toward raising public awareness. Many people have now heard of the disease thanks, in part, to television shows mentioning it beginning with the actor Hugh Laurie as the title character in the television drama House. I think each week when Laurie's character said, "It is not lupus," I jumped for joy because millions of people were hearing the word.

Here's the interesting thing: More people have now heard of the disease, but they still do not understand what it is. So, for all of you who have been waiting with baited breath for me to do the big reveal and tell you what lupus is, here goes: Lupus is an autoimmune disease. Hopefully, each year you get a flu shot. When you get that shot, your body makes antibodies to the flu and, later, when you are exposed to the flu, those antibodies (our body's little warriors) attack the invading virus so you don't have to miss work for the flu. The whole process is seamless, invisible and, in most cases, oh-so-efficient. The miracle of the human body.

Here's where it gets a little tricky. With lupus and other autoimmune diseases, instead of an outside invader Continue reading >>