Frida Kahlo

Women in Hats

Vietnamese Woman w/Baby

Cindy Sherman

If you see us in thrall of compulsive behavior, like a drug addict, you understand that all we need to do to change our collective behavior is change our minds.

Bless you and your insights. I am so proud of my Sprout for his little act of kindness last week.

We’d been to the store to get drinks for his birthday party (OMG he’s 9 already!)and as we turned onto our street there were 5 workers painting the bridge we drive across daily, near where we see the bunnies and deer lying panting in the shade together in the summer. It was warmer than usual and he said “They look thirsty. Can we give them some drinks?” So we turned around and my shy boy took the cans out of the car and handed them out.

The men smiled and thanked him and when he got back into the car he said “That felt good.” He is starting down the path of random acts of kindness and I couldn’t be happier.

Like Type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis, lupus is an autoimmune disease. The mortality from these three diseases is rougly similar, the disability associated with them is roughly similar and the number of people with the disorders is rougly similar. Despite this, the US government spent $435 million on diabetes research; $98 million on multiple sclerosis research and only $84 million on lupus research, last year. The disparities aren’t fair, but they are real. Most of the money for research is allocated through a federal agency called the National Institutes of Health. During the 1990’s funding for NIH doubled. Under President Bush, funding for NIH has declined three years in a row.

About 5 years ago, the Komen Breast Cancer Foundation realized that breast cancer funding through NIH would be stagnant for several years so they lobbied to create a biomedical research funding program through the one agency that did increase during the Bush presidency, the Department of Defense. This program has now expanded and supports research into breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer. I hesitate to mention it, because if you say anything at all nice about Senator Clinton on this site, Obama supporters verbally slit your throat, but last year Senator Clinton and a member of the NY House delegation, Nita Lowey introduced a bill to include lupus in the DOD research funding program.

My friend who had lupus had flare after flare, but it wasn’t the lupus that killed her, it was the side effects of all the prednisone she took to keep the flares at bay.

My one plea to all of the Clinton supporters who hate Obama and all of the Obama supporters who hate Clinton, both have good health care plans (getting health insurance is almost impossible if you have lupus) and both will dramatically increase funding for medical research. A President McCain won’t do either; he will follow Bush’s strategy of cutting domestic spending. It may feel good to some to argue about who is purer on Iraq or who is a nastier campaigner, but to people with real problems, any democrat (even the ones you can’t stand) will be better than any republican.

Good luck with the lupus Christy! God bless you.

Just want to thank you for the way you inspire us all. My father-in-law had lupus for many years so I have glimpses of what you must handle each day. He was a journalism professor and kept a busy schedule for a long time despite the illness.
Hugs to the Peanut – I have become good at building and action toys with my son, and it makes me glad to have a boy as I was never into girly dolls and things.

Tommy Yum – glad the fundraiser for Esten was a success. We are in Chapel Hill but our Saturday was taken up with Chinese class and things. And the sun today is special – our solar panels are connected to the grid so we are producing power for the electric cooperative. It is a very happy feeling!

I’m adding my thoughts and send all hopes that every day is better and better.

We had an experience in December that showed us in a hurry who our friends were, and who they weren’t. The dust is still settling. At the same time, there is nothing more important than those that remain. It’s possible to have every financial blessing, but if you don’t have someone who answers a “I need your help” phone call with “you can count on us”, the material doesn’t mean much.

On the flip side, even in the midst of a gray, overcast Pacific Northwest winter morning, I’m struck with the realization that I can see it. I’m inside. I’m warm, fed, and things look good for the rest of the day.

-S