“Lupus changes People. It sculpts us into someone who understands more deeply, hurts more often, appreciates more quickly, cries more easily, hopes more desperately, loves more openly, and lives more passionately.” -unknown
Lupus is an autoimmune disease where our own immune system attacks healthy tissues. In Lupus, like other autoimmune disorders, the body begins recognizing healthy tissue as an enemy, then it attacks.
Lupus displays itself differently between people, but symptoms present themselves in many ways ranging from fatigue, stiff joints, mouth ulcers, hair loss, face rashes, headaches, chest pain, depression, and many more. It can lead to organ damage and organ failure. If untreated this disease can be deadly. Lupus belongs in the category, “invisible illness” meaning many people who have it do not show outward signs of something wrong like one would if they had a broken leg or an infected wound. Instead they are subject to having others have expectations to live everyday life like a healthy person. As if none of this sounded bad enough, this is an illness that currently has no cure. Unless one has been in chronically ill person’s shoes, they it can not be understood how difficult and discouraging it is to fight daily battles, but unsure you will win the war.
One can only imagine the tenacity, courage, drive, wisdom, and willpower it would take to navigate through this day in and day out.
Hopefully, this reminds people to not take their health for granted. Some people are given the gift of suffering to teach others endurance and thankfulness. Let those with Lupus be a reminder of what your body is capable of and what is NOT restricting it. Be thankful for what your body is able to achieve and try using it to the best of its ability. If those suffering with Lupus fight just to get out of bed, and you are healthy, then surely you can get up to go to boot camp and training in the morning. There shouldn’t be any excuses.
Lupus Foundation of America is hosting the Walk to End Lupus Now on October 23rd. COR will be out there walking to support the research to end Lupus. Please join team COR!
There are 7 ways you can support COR in the Lupus walk:
- Sign up here. Our team name is COR. There is also a sign up sheet at the desk.
- Show up and walk!
- Invite friends and family to walk
- Donate money!
- Find another Lupus event to participate in!
- Volunteer!
- Wear Purple October 23rd whether you walk or not
Our Goal is to raise $1,000. Everyone who donates will go into a raffle. The winner will win the chance to pie out trainer, Michael, in the face! If we raise $1,500 then a raffle winner will get to pie Chris in the face! Best of all, if we raise $2,000 a raffle winner will get to pie Dr. John in the face!!!
Do you have Lupus? Here in Northern California there are support groups available. COR cares for you and hope the best for you. The definition of hope is waiting expectantly for something to happen knowing that it will happen. Here at COR we wait expectantly for your cure and we will walk as we wait.