MODESTO, CA, April 13, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Most of us have heard of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, lupus, and Type 1 Diabetes. They are just some of the common types of autoimmune diseases. Autoimmunity is present to some degree in all of us, usually it's quite harmless. However, when this condition becomes active, it can cause a broad range of illnesses.
About 50 million Americans, most of whom are women of childbearing ages, suffer from autoimmune conditions. Beginning symptoms may be general; such as fatigue, low-grade fever, skin rash and difficulty concentrating. Often, these conditions are construed as being psychological rather than physiological.
Kathy Walters of Modesto has lived with lupus for more than 30 years. Her condition was misunderstood by family and friends, and often misdiagnosed by physicians. Tired of being unable to share her problems with others with similar conditions, Mrs. Walters decided to organize an online support group for individuals who suffer from any type of autoimmune disease. Thus http://www.LupusMCTD.com was born in 2005.
The online group meets at any hour 7 days a week. 24 hours a day. After three years, they have almost 800 people who come seeking a little understanding with others who share similar problems. They invite anyone who wishes to come share their feelings or just sit and listen.
Many have been a part of these group postings for over a year and finds the support and understanding from the group to be most rewarding. "Mrs. Walters should be commended for starting a program like this. It really helps to be able to talk with people who understand how I feel,"
Walters said, "The symptoms of autoimmune disease should not be taken lightly, regardless what your friends think, what co-workers say or family. Find a physician who understands. It can affect your eyes, heart, legs, skin, cause hair loss and affect all major organs. Treatment involves everything from multiple medications to chemo, and most everything in between. It's also important to understand that autoimmune diseases are hereditary, and not communicable."
"There's a lot of depression associated with autoimmune diseases along with Fibromyalgia," Walters said. "It's only natural to feel confused and isolated when a cure is nearly impossible to find"
Anyone wishing to become a part of this group or any Physicians or Nurses would like to attend, our second annual Patients Picnic in The Park will be held on May 3,2009 at 11:00 AM @ Micke Grove Park in Lodi, CA. Potluck style picnic.
Scheduled guests include Dr. Robert Shapiro and his office staff of Stockton will be in attendance.
Call (209) 524-4680 or email LupusWebsite@aol.com to confirm your attendance. Booklets will be given out, prizes, questions answered and shared, friendships form. This is our second annual as we are striving to make this worldwide awareness.
Kathy has expanded her vision by now offering a weekly radio show on www.BlogTalk Radio.com/LupusMCTD.com in which she is looking for guests to interview.
About Lupus MCTD
http://www.LupusMCTD.com founded in 2005 as a peer-to-peer endeavor run entirely by volunteers -- patients who are dedicated to providing information and support to people interested in Lupus and Mixed Connective Tissue Disorders.
---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com# # #
- autoimmune, bee, california, connective, disorder, disorders, fibro, fibromyalgia, health, local, lupus, manteca, medical, mixed, modesto, news, raynauds, ripon, sacramento, stockton, support, the, tissue, turlock
Read more Press Releases from Kathy Walters:Other Press Release Headlines:
