It's Time For Lupus Awareness

My nine year old niece, Samie, has Lupus; she was diagnosed just before her seventh birthday.
Because I'm her aunt, her pen pal (how adorable is that?!), and it's my blog and I can do what I want, I'm letting you all know about the Lupus Walk (in Wisconsin).

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/samantha-patton/10thannualstridesforlupuswalk-wisconsin?fge=ask

Lady Gaga

I confess I've never listened to her music (on purpose anyway), nothing against her, I'm just a Stan Getz, Brazilian jazz kinda gal.

However, if she does have Lupus and she raises awareness for this disease like Michael J. Fox has for Parkinson's, then I will download all her stuff.
Right now.

May is Lupus Awareness Month

Samantha, May 2009
This is my wonderful, goofy, giggly, sweet niece Samantha during her treatment for Lupus. This included "...lots of lab work, doctors' appointments, ultrasounds, a kidney biopsy, IV therapy, and too much medicine."
Sam is not defined by this illness - even when she was undergoing treatment, she, encouraged by her parents and a wonderful teacher, still attended her dance recitals.






Samantha, May 2010
She still has Lupus, despite looking like her old self again.

She calls me Puma, I don't know why, but it's hilarious. Back in 2008, I was her best friend. She said so.

Since this is my blog and I can do whatever I want, Aunt Puma's making a plug for a donation.

Please help find a cure for this disease.

http://www.firstgiving.com/samanthapatton

Lupus (updated)

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.
(Excerpt From Lupus Foundation of America http://www.lupus.org/newsite/index.html)



This is my niece Samantha, aka Sam, in 2008 - three months before being diagnosed with Lupus (the day before her seventh birthday).





This is my niece Sam, during her steroid treatment for Lupus.










Thankfully, she responded well to the steroid treatment and is off them, but it was a long year. She only takes Cellcept now (people who've had an organ transplant take it as well) and it seems the lupus is in remission.



She'll be doing the Lupus Walk in Milwaukee on June 12. http://www.firstgiving.com/samanthapatton