You might even feel alone, as if you’re the only one with the disease. Certainly the only one among your community of friends to understand what it’s like to have lupus.
If that sounds familiar, there’s hope. There are a slew of resources for lupus patients to get information, ask questions and meet other lupus patients. Here are this month’s Top Five Picks:
Lupus Foundation of America
The LFA is our country’s leading non-profit voluntary health organization dedicated to finding the causes and cure for lupus. And it should be easy to connect with the LFA and its members – it has 300 chapters in 32 states. It’s mission: To improve the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, support individuals and families affected by the disease, increase awareness of lupus among health professionals and the public, and find the causes and cure.
Lupus Canada
Our neighbor to the north’s leading non-profit health organization dedicated to Lupus. Similar to the LFA, its mission to improving the lives of people living with lupus through advocacy, education, public awareness, support and research. It includes most of what you’ll find in other lupus non-profit sites, but what has About Lupus jazzed is its link to local organizations throughout the country. Click through and get in contact with one of these chapters to start sharing your lupus story.
KidsHealth: Lupus
If your daughter or son has been diagnosed with lupus, this site, built for kids, delves into the disease on their level. And while the entire site isn’t dedicated to lupus, it’s the community that matters, with sections like “My Body,” “Growing Up,” and “Kids’ Talk,” along with pertinent information and ways to stay healthy and avoid flares.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Clinical Overview
If you’re at all like us, you want more than just a simple overview of lupus in layman’s terms. You want to start digging into the nitty gritty – to really understand what this disease you or your loved one have contracted is all about. This is a good place to start if you want to get deep into the real clinical stuff.
The Lupus Lady
It’s a bit cutesy, it’s a bit cuddly, but it’s all community. The Lupus Lady is a Texas mother of two who has been living all her life with the disease, though doctor’s didn’t diagnose her for several years. Now she’s put together a site that details her life and the lives – and lifestyles – of many others. Well worth the read.
