Lupus Awareness Day the Gullah/Geechee Way!

Gullah/Geechee Nation ♦ May 18, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment

May 19th is “Lupus Awareness Day” which takes place annually during May which is  “Lupus Awareness Month.”  On May 10th which was “World Lupus Day” the Gullah/Geechee Sustainability Think Tank partners at the Medical University of South Carolina’s (MUSC) MUSCLE program held “Lupus Patients Day.”   On an on-going basis, they work with people to determine whether or not they have lupus and if they do, they can remain a part of the MUSCLE program and work toward finding a cure for this chronic autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body. ƒ

The Gullah/Geechee Nation‘s leaders are concerned about lupus and have been looking at the preventative measures that can be taken by examining environmental and dietary triggers amongst their people.  This is a major concern because lupus occurs two to three times more frequently among African Americans, Asians, Hispanics/Latinos, Pacific Islanders and Native Americans than among Caucasians. ƒ

According to www.lupusawarenessmonth.org:

• No two cases of lupus are alike.

• Common symptoms include joint pain, skin rashes, overwhelming fatigue and fevers that last for days or weeks.

• Most people with lupus don’t look sick. ƒ

• Lupus can impact any organ or tissue, from the skin or joints to the heart or kidneys. Two leading causes of serious illness and death from lupus are kidney disease and heart disease. ƒ

• Lupus usually develops between ages 15 and 44 and it lasts a lifetime. ƒ Lupus can strike anyone, but 90 percent of the people living with lupus are females. Men, children and teenagers develop lupus too. ƒ

• Lupus can be expensive to live with and treat. The average annual direct and indirect costs incurred by a person with lupus can exceed $21,000 annually.

• There is NO single blood test to diagnose lupus, and its symptoms mimic those of other diseases, vary in intensity and can come and go over time. More than half of those afflicted with lupus suffered at least four years, and saw three or more doctors before obtaining a correct diagnosis of lupus. ƒ Early diagnosis is crucial to preventing long-term consequence so we recommend contacting MUSCLE if you would like to be screened.  Email lupusresearch@musc.edu

Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation personally calls on others around the world to join her and #POP!  #PutonPurple Day is the Gullah/Geechee Queen’s way just about every day!