And Now We Present...Lupus! The Great Imitator!

Oh, Lupus, you special autoimmune disease. Most people have heard of Lupus, but few know exactly what it is. That's because Lupus is great at mimicking so many other rheumatological diseases that it tends to be a unique experience for every patient. There are some tests for it, but those tests aren't the be-all-end-all for diagnosis. There's also the misconception that all Lupus patients die and can't live normal lives. Not true.

So we end May with our Lupus Awareness Month episode, where we'll go through all the reasons Lupus is called the great imitator by the medical community and why it's so hard for Lupus patients to get a diagnosis and what it means once you are diagnosed.

Since Nicole has spent the last 18 years with her diagnosis, she'll talk about the road to getting diagnosed, what treatments helped her and what other treatments are out there, and what it's like living with Lupus. And yes, there is a life to be lived even if you have Lupus. 

We encourage everyone to take a listen, because Lupus often doesn't come alone. It comes in pairs with other disorders. So while you may not have Lupus, you may have one of the comorbidities that come with Lupus. Or you may have some of the signs that you have Lupus, too. Or maybe you have a friend who has Lupus and you want to know more.

Like always, we thank you for listening. We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy. 

Have a good week everyone!