Ok guys! Some of you may know and some may not but I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2008.. 

I have had 3 years of trying different medications and I cannot deny that the last year has been rough with different medications not working and the Lupus being active. It is a horrible disease… you look fine on the outside but it is crippling you inside. People never see you at your worst. It has been hard dealing with the symptoms along with the side affects of the medications. I can’t thank the boys enough; they have been there for me every step of the way dealing with it too. I have had a few knock backs over the last few months and feel I am now at a time in my life when I am ready to help tackle this disease, find some positives and I need to do this by raising money, spreading awareness and maybe some time in the future, maybe not in my lifetime find a cure. 

I have never done anything like this before …My boys – Sanjay, Dylan & Joshan are doing this run with me to give me support and get me to the finish. I am very determined to do this…. By hook or by crook I will cross that finish line.

 What is Lupus?

Systemic lupus is a chronic and presently-incurable illness of the immune system, a condition in which the body's defence mechanism begins to attack itself through an excess of antibodies in the blood stream causing inflammation and damage in the joints, muscles and other organs.

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder and it affects skin, joints, and internal organs. Lupus can affect both men and women, but it is eight times as likely in women. It can also occur at any age, but the typical age range for someone to get Lupus is ten to fifty. It is normally more common in African American people as well as Asian people. This is a disease that is usually hereditary, but in some cases there is no family history of Lupus.

 

Lupus is a disease that turns the body's defences against the body itself. Lupus occurs when antibodies attack the healthy cells in the body. Certain drugs can cause Lupus as well. Most cases have some family background to them, but in a few cases there is no apparent cause for the disease. The disease has been heavily researched and has been linked to other disorders, but only in theory, nothing is definitely stated for fact.

Symptoms of this can vary in a wide variety of areas in the body. It affects the joints and causes mild to severe joint pain. Lupus is known to cause arthritis in the hands. The skin is affected by rashes, skin lesions, and painful nodules that appear to be raised bruises. Kidneys produce protein deposits and can have renal failure, leading to dialysis. The Nervous System can cause mental dysfunction, seizures, psychosis, and severe headaches. Blood clots can occur as well as pulmonary embolism. The heart could produce chest pain. The symptoms in the heart could also have something to do with the effects Lupus has in the blood, with the clotting that can occur. Shortness of breath and even pleurisy can occur within the lungs due to Lupus.

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