Remember in “The Wizard of Oz,” when Dorothy and her intrepid band of travelers finally got in to see the Wizard? To Dorothy, the Wizard was a giant head; the Scarecrow saw a beautiful lady; the Tin Woodman confronted a ravenous beast; the Cowardly Lion faced a ball of fire. Just goes to show, you never know who is behind the scenes making things happen. I want to tell you about a very special group of volunteers from private, public, non-profit, academic, clinical, and scientific organizations, who are working behind the scenes to help the most vulnerable members of the lupus community. The project is called “Eliminating Health Disparities in Lupus Initiative,” or EHDLI, and the Web address is thelupusinitiative.org. The Initiative has been developed and is managed by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

Working Together

During the past two years, these lupus patient advocates, researchers and educators, physicians, nurse practitioners, and government officials have created educational materials and programs to help physicians, nurses, medical students, and educators better understand the physical, psychological, and social complexities of lupus. I represent the lupus patients, and I can tell you that a more dedicated group of people would be hard to find. In mid-August, I joined other EHDLI members in Chicago to talk about the Initiative’s first two years, and what we would like to see in Year 3.

L-R, front row: Jamila Rashid, PhD, MPH, Office of Minority Health, DHHS; Elena Rios, MD, National Hispanic Medical Association; Lisa Amaker, The Lupus Initiative; Greg Dennis, MD, Human Genome Sciences, Inc.L-R, middle row: Sheryl McCalla, Esq., The Lupus Initiative; Jenny Palter, Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.; Tammy Utset, MD, MPH, University of Chicago; Margaret Dowd, Lupus Research Institute; Ed Yelin, MD, UCSF Department of Medicine L-R, back row: John C. Davis, Jr., MD, MPH., Genentech, Inc.; Susan Sanders, MSA, Office on Women’s Health, DHHS; S. Sam Lim, MD, MPH, Emory University School of Medicine Joining the meeting by phone, were Mary Beth Bigley, DrPH, MSN, ANP, Office of the Surgeon General, and Edward Treadwell, MD, East Carolina University.

What’s Available?
This is just a sampling of what’s online and/or being developed for the health care professionals and medical students:

• A curriculum for medical students, including:
  - Web-based lecture kit for CME/CE credit
  - video reference library of short teaching modules
  - lupus case studies
• A Practitioner’s Toolkit, including:
  - Culturally Competent Nursing Care: A Cornerstone of Caring and A Physician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care
  - “Lupus: What You Need To Know”—a DVD designed to promote being proactive
  - Lupus Now magazine
  - physician/patient dialogue tool and symptom tracker
  - posters for doctors’ offices
  - “Ask Me Three: Mrs. Jenkins Visits the Lupus Clinic”—an illustrated story created to enhance treatment compliance

Waiting for Funding
Additional funding has been requested from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, or DHHS), to continue the work of the Initiative for another year. Stay tuned; we’ll definitely make an announcement as soon as we hear anything.

Talk About It!
Be sure to tell your doctors and nurses about thelupusinitiative.org, and if you know any medical students, steer them to the site, as well. And don’t forget to visit the Lupus Initiative Story Bank, where individuals affected by lupus share their thoughts in short videos. I think you’ll be inspired by the stories; and it’s open to all—you might want to post one yourself!

I remain,
Your faithful “behind the scenes” correspondent,
Jenny

Lupus is a common disease found in women, though it does not fail to attack men at times. It is mainly caused due to the development of undesirable antibodies inside the body. Unlike other diseases, the autoimmune system of the body induces lupus in human body, leading to inflammation of various body tissues.

Which Body Parts are targeted?

The development of antibodies can take place in any part of the body. Hence, lupus can target any body part from lungs, kidneys and heart to skin, nervous system and various body joints.

Who are Probable Victims?

It has been estimated that 90% of the patients suffering from lupus are women. Women in the age group of 18-45 are more likely to be victimized by lupus. The women from regions like Native America, Latin America and of African American origin are at higher risks of obtaining this disease.

Why is Lupus of Concern among Women?

Lupus is a disease that can further lead to a number of serious problems. For instance, women suffering from lupus become more prone to heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes, joint and muscle pains. Furthermore, lupus in women can also lead to weakening of bones and emergence of diseases like osteoporosis. So fatigue and pains are obviously most prominent problems induced in lupus patients.

How is Lupus Caused?

1-As mentioned in the beginning, immune system of human body is mainly responsible for introduction of lupus in human body. The unfavorable antibodies developed in the body can attack various tissues of the body, thereby leading them to have inflammations.

2-The second-most common cause of lupus is hormone change, especially during the period of pregnancy and during childbirth.

3-Another reason for occurrence of lupus is exposure to extreme environmental conditions like sunlight.

4-Stress is also one of the pertinent causes of the disease.

5-This disorder is often caused due to intake of certain medications, which can advance the development of bad antibodies.

6-Lastly, some types of viruses can also cause lupus in women.

Common Symptoms of Lupus

Lupus occurs in a number of variations, including systemic lupus erythematosus, discoid lupus, neonatal lupus and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus. The most common symptoms of all these variations are:

1-Pain and swelling in the body joints.

2-Appearance of skin rashes, which include rashes in the shape of butterfly over nose and cheeks and sores on neck and chest.

3-Pain in the chest, especially during heavy breathing.

4-Inflammation in body organs like heart, lungs and internal organs.

5-Fatigue and anemia.

6-Hair loss.

7-Sensitivity to sunlight.

8-Loss of memory, lack of agility and presence of mind and confusion.

9-Abnormalities related to the nervous system, kidneys and abdomen.

Blood tests, x-rays and other recommended laboratory tests are often used to diagnose lupus. The correct diagnosis and subsequent treatment from a medical expert can easily solve your problem. It is highly recommended that you consult your doctor on the appearance of early signs and symptoms of this disease to get the best treatment.

To Your Health!

Florida Abortion Clinic Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Orlando Women’s Center in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including Florida abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.