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Michael Jackson and Lupus Part II

Please visit me at www.BeatLupus.com, and my musician site: www.ReganMizuno.com. Thank you.

Deepak Chopra had said, in the referenced People magazine article, “I know it [lupus] was something that bothered him a lot.” That’s an understatement in terms of how I personally have previously felt about having lupus. And I too kept the fact to myself for years.

I know I’m not the only one who neglected to speak up.

Perhaps for these quiet reasons, combined with the fact that lupus is very difficult to understand (not only for health professionals but also for lay-persons like me), lupus has, until recently, remained in the shadows.

THE GOOD NEWS is that lupus is gaining national attention. Web sites like this one ensure lupus is getting the attention it deserves. And I’d like to play my part in that by being a face for lupus. Hi! I’m real! (Please see an upcoming article about my relationship with lupus – what involvement I have with it and how I have been treated).

The thing that really excites me is the research that is changing the landscape of lupus’ presence in our world today. For example, the Lupus Research Institute (LRI) has announced on its Web site [http://www.lupusresearchinstitute.org/research] that LRI scientists have made breakthroughs in:

-Genes that increase susceptibility to lupus
-How lupus damages organs: kidneys, heart, brain, skin
-Pathways that enable misguided antibodies to attack
-Molecules that determine control of the immune system
-Targets for new treatments
-Biomarkers for diagnosing, monitoring and treating lupus

And of the LRI’s $26 million invested so far, millions more have been secured at the National Institutes of Health and other agencies to expand on the research.

Yippee! As a patient and advocate, this makes me very optimistic about my future.

And Michael Jackson, may he rest in peace, has impacted me, as I’m sure he has impacted other lupus patients, and the world, by increasing knowledge about lupus.

copyright Regan Mizuno 2009, Harmonics Engineering Services, LLC, all rights reserved.

We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.