Precious life...

On the day I started to set up this blog, I was told by an old friend that and an old friend of ours from primary is critically ill with SLE. Me, Mona & Ferin went to see her at SJMC. We call her Mima & her twin is Mimi. We have not seen them since secondary. When we saw Mima, words could not describe the sadness we felt at that particular moment. Our other friends will follow in suit to visit her later.

How precious life is and the effect it has on all of us; being relatives or not. May Allah ease her pain and heal her soon, so she can return to her family.

SLE is not as famous as cancer. Below are minor details:


Lupus/Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

What Is It?
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (sis-TEM-ick LOO-pus err-ah-theme-ahTOE-sus) is a chronic (long-lasting) rheumatic disease which affects joints, muscles and other parts of the body. Lupus involves inflammation (the immune system's response to kill foreign agents, virus, bacteria). Systemic lupus erythematosus involves chronic inflammation that can affect many parts of the body, including:
Heart
Lungs
Skin
Joints
Blood-forming organs
Kidneys
Nervous system

There are several types of lupus:
Discoid lupus affects the skin.
Drug-induced lupus occurs because of a reaction to drugs. Symptoms, however, disappear once the drugs are discontinued.
Crossover, or overlap, syndromes indicate features that overlap with another rheumatic disease.
What Are the Symptoms?
The following classification of 11 symptoms helps doctors tell the difference between people who have lupus and people who have other connective tissue disorders:
Malar (MAY-lar) rash (a butterfly shaped rash over the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose)
Discoid rash (scaly, disk-shaped sores on the face, neck and/or chest)
Sensitivity to sunlight
Oral ulcers
Arthritis (pain, stiffness in joints)
Serositis (inflammation of the lining around the heart, lungs, and/or abdomen, causing pain and shortness of breath)
Kidney problems (protein leak)
Central nervous system problems
Blood problems (anemia)
Problems with the immune system (risk of infection)
Antinuclear antibodies (autoantibodies that react against the body's own cells)

Other symptoms include:
Anemia
Fatigue
Fever
Skin rash
Muscle aches
Nausea
Vomiting and diarrhea
Swollen glands Lack of appetite
Sensitivity to cold (Raynaud's phenomenon)
Weight loss

What Causes It?
The cause is unknown.

How Is It Diagnosed?
Lupus is sometimes difficult to diagnose because there is no single set of symptoms. A physical exam and a blood test can detect a group of antibodies found in the blood of almost all people with lupus. Some other lab tests include:
A compliment test (C3, C4, CH50, CH100) measures the amount of complementary proteins circulating in the blood.
A sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) may be used to measure inflammation levels.
A urine analysis issued to detect kidney problems.
Chest X-rays may be taken to detect lung damage.
An EKG can detect heart problems.
Treatment Options
Medications: aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs, NSAIDs, Antimalarial drugs, Corticosteroids, Immunosuppressants
Exercise
Diet/rest
Skin/sun protection

Who Is At Risk?
Lupus affects women about 8 to 10 times as often as men and often occurs around the ages of 18 to 45.
Lupus occurs more often in African Americans.
Lupus can occur in young children or in older people.
Studies suggest that certain people may inherit the tendency to get lupus. New cases of lupus are more common in families where one member already has the disease.

How Is It Diagnosed?
Lupus is sometimes difficult to diagnose because there is no single set of symptoms. A physical exam and a blood test can detect a group of antibodies found in the blood of almost all people with lupus. Some other lab tests include:
A compliment test (C3, C4, CH50, CH100) measures the amount of complementary proteins circulating in the blood.
A sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) may be used to measure inflammation levels.
A urine analysis issued to detect kidney problems.
Chest X-rays may be taken to detect lung damage.
An EKG can detect heart problems.