Today, Sunday May 3, 2009 The Lupus Foundation of America Texas Gulf Coast Chapter had its annual Lupus walk to raise awareness of this autoimmune disease that afflicts millions of Americans every year. The event was held in Downtown Houston, Texas at the Discovery Green Park near the George R Brown convention center. Over 1000 supporters and donors walked several miles to highlight the disease.
One of the most important issues surrounding Lupus is the inability to get insurance once the disease has been diagnosed. With all private insurance companies denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and given that Lupus is a chronic disease without cure if a healthcare overhaul does not occur in the country, an ever increasing number of citizens, mostly women will be uninsurable.
Lupus defined from WebMD:
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body’s natural defense system (immune system) attacks its own tissues instead of attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses. This causes inflammation. Inflammation causes swelling, pain, and tissue damage throughout the body. If you develop severe lupus, you may have problems with your kidneys, heart, lungs, nervous system, or blood cells. Lupus is the common name for systemic lupus erythematosus, also called SLE.
Although some people with Lupus have only mild symptoms, the disease is lifelong and can become severe. But most people can control their symptoms and prevent severe damage to their organs. They do this by seeing their doctors often for checkups, getting enough rest and exercise, and taking medicines.