October is regarded as Breast Cancer Awareness Month but not many people are aware that it's also Lupus Awareness Month.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the body's immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue. This results in symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, damage to joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs.
According to Lupus Canada, more than five million people worldwide live with lupus and each year over a hundred thousand young women, men and children are newly diagnosed with it. The great majority of women are of 25-35 age group. The fact that women are considerably more likely to develop lupus than men suggests that hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone, play a key role in the immune system. Men and women both produce estrogen but the estrogen production is much greater in females.
Ferzana Gillani, who was diagnosed with Lupus in 2008, struggled to find relevant information on the triggers that made it impossible to deal with the disease. As a result, she decided to pen down her own trials and tribulations in form of a book to create awareness and help people deal with the disease.
"I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus after a turbulent year filled with confusion in my body. My symptoms came to a head when I took vaccinations in preparation for a trip to Africa and then spent three weeks under the African sun. I returned home to a confirmed diagnosis of lupus and spent a turbulent few months trying to make sense of the drastic changes that were happening to me.
When I first heard of my diagnosis I felt extremely vulnerable, broken, lost and helpless. I desperately looked for messages of inspiration and hope as far as my new diagnosis was concerned but I was unsuccessful." says Ferzana.
It's generally believed that lupus is caused by alterations in the immune system.The body's immune system normally fights foreign bacteria and viruses. However, with lupus, the immune system may fail to recognize 'self' substances and produces antibodies that attack the body's own tissue.
Ferzana talks about her inspiration to write the book, "I promised myself that I would be a message of hope to anyone who is newly diagnosed and /or living with lupus since I was so unsuccessful in looking for positive messages when I was first diagnosed. I felt so blessed to have had the resources I had around me that taught me so much about the aspects of lupus, the human body, the triggers that cause inflammation, how to maintain balance between the body, mind and spirit, how to overcome the negative and dwell in the positive and how to live the best life I have ever lived: one of mindfulness (as opposed to restriction); one of confidence, empowerment and one where I am an active participant in making decisions towards my wellbeing and inevitably taking control back into my own hands.
As a result I wrote the book Lupus: My Constant Companion and Greatest Inspiration which includes my entire journey of living with lupus, including the challenges and the inspirations that have now enabled me to live a mindful life."
The book is now available on amazon in Paperback- $19.99 USD and Kindle – $12.99 USD version.
By sharing her journey, she hopes others can avoid the fear, panic, confusion and despair that often comes with this diagnosis.
"I hope to be that message of inspiration and hope that I looked for, unsuccessfully, when I was first diagnosed," Ferzana concludes.
Kudos to Ferzana for writing the inspirational book and for those of you do pick up a copy, please do tweet us how it impacted your life after reading.
Source & Images: Ferzana Gillani, http://bodyandhealth.canada.com
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