Meet Alyshia Alyshia Merchant was always healthy, but as a busy mom, she did experience fatigue from time to time. However, it wasn’t until she was out to dinner in 2012 when the early signs of her condition became more apparent. Her friends pointed out a rash that had spread across her cheeks and nose.… Continue reading From Lupus Diagnosis to Fearless Patient Advocate
Category: Conditions
Living with a health condition? On the PatientsLikeMe blog, find helpful health information and patient stories about being diagnosed, trying different treatments, and living day-to-day with a chronic condition.
Lupus And Period Problems, Explained
Are you living with lupus (SLE) and experiencing problems with your monthly period? (Like, not getting it. Or having a really heavy, long period.) And have you ever wondered how lupus might play a role in this? Read on. What Does The Research Show? Small studies have found that people with SLE are at greater risk… Continue reading Lupus And Period Problems, Explained
Can dogs detect disease? Studies say…
Can “Spot” spot cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and more? We’ve rounded up some of what the initial research shows so far — and it’s not just fluff. “The full potential of dogs to detect human disease is just beginning to be understood,” says Claire Guest, chief executive of a U.K.-based organization called Medical Detection Dogs, which trains… Continue reading Can dogs detect disease? Studies say…
Family activities with a health condition
Your chronic health condition may steal your energy, but it shouldn’t rob you of family fun. Jeanette Alston-Watkins was diagnosed with lupus (SLE) when her kids were 11 and 14. Check out this Q&A about activities she enjoyed with them despite SLE. Try some of these with your children or grandchildren over the upcoming holiday… Continue reading Family activities with a health condition
Gift Guide: Gadgets for People with Health Conditions
Who needs another scarf or coffee mug? With the holiday shopping season upon us, PatientsLikeMe members are crowd-sourcing a list of handy products and tools that can actually help people living with pain, fatigue and other symptoms of chronic illness or aspects of aging. Check out the list below, for starters, and then join PatientsLikeMe or log in to… Continue reading Gift Guide: Gadgets for People with Health Conditions
Parkinson’s Freezing Triggers and Fall Prevention
Gait freezing and falls are common among people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Take a closer look at patients’ experiences, common triggers of freezing and tips that may help prevent falls. What is known about freezing and falls? Researchers and movement experts have been studying gait freezing in people with PD for several decades. The exact… Continue reading Parkinson’s Freezing Triggers and Fall Prevention
Lupus Diagnosis and Lupus Self Test: Member Hetlena’s Pointers For Her Old (Newbie with SLE) Self
What would someone who has lived with lupus (SLE) for decades tell her younger, newly diagnosed self? PatientsLikeMe member Hetlena (@TheLupusLiar), who was diagnosed with lupus in 1993, recently answered that question for us in the following personal essay reflecting on what she’s learned through the years… Tips For A Newly Diagnosed SLE Patient “This… Continue reading Lupus Diagnosis and Lupus Self Test: Member Hetlena’s Pointers For Her Old (Newbie with SLE) Self
Spring Time Change (Spring Daylight Savings) and your Health
Many people feel off-kilter when the clock changes due to daylight saving time beginning or ending (as will happen on November 4 in the U.S. — well, most of the country). How do these changes affect you and your health? What do patients think? And what’s the latest state to propose ending or altering the… Continue reading Spring Time Change (Spring Daylight Savings) and your Health
Parents with lupus (or any health condition) ‘don’t have to be perfect’ — take it from this mom
PatientsLikeMe member Jeanette Alston-Watkins (JeanetteA6872) was diagnosed with lupus in 2006, when her kids were 11 and 14. “My kids are my strength and they gave me energy and willpower,” she says in this Q&A about parenting with SLE. Can you share a bit about your diagnosis and how it impacted your children? They were… Continue reading Parents with lupus (or any health condition) ‘don’t have to be perfect’ — take it from this mom
Stem Cell Treatment For MS
Stem cell therapy is a popular topic in the MS forum and some members are already tracking and evaluating their experience. How does it work? Are there risks? To find answers to your stem cell therapy questions, we asked our team of in-house health professionals to take a look at the current research What are stem cells?… Continue reading Stem Cell Treatment For MS