| In The Know |
Young people with lupus providing support to others
On April 4th-6th 2008, Lupus Canada provided a training session in Toronto for Ontario members wishing to hold support meetings. The training session, graciously funded by the Trillium Foundation, provided 26 participants the information and tips they needed to hold effective support group meetings in their local communities. Among the participants were many youth members who have committed to struggling with the realities of this disease.
All members agree that in addition to getting the training they needed to be inspiring support leaders, they were glad to have the opportunity to meet and work with other people living with lupus.
Canadians Walk-A-Block for lupus on World Lupus Day
May 10th 2008 marks the 5th annual World Lupus Day, and Lupus Canada celebrated the day by holding their annual Walk-A-Block. Hundreds of people across Canada, took part in the event, which allows people of all levels of fitness to participate. Approximately $110,000 dollars was raised, all of which goes to supporting research and providing resources to Canadians living with lupus. Among the walkers were many members of Get in the Loop, who have helped increase lupus awareness and raise much needed funds for the cause.
Young woman with lupus shares her story at Lupus Canada Symposium
On May 31st in Montreal, Lupus Canada held it’s 7th Annual Symposium. The event, entitled, Living Well with lupus: Pathways to Good Health (Bien vivre avec le lupus: une voie vers la bonne santé), offered informative seminars by doctors and researchers in both English and French. Topics included Update on Lupus Research, and Youth to Adulthood-the Transition Years. Carolina Pineda, a 28 yr-old living with lupus, shared her experiences as a lupus patient in her seminar, “Lupus is not just about wolves”. Once again, the event offered lupus patients and their families an opportunity to become more informed about the disease, in keeping with the theme: Living Well with Lupus: Pathways to Good Health.
LESS welcomes Canadians with lupus to their annual symposium
Once again, the Lupus Erythematosus Society of Saskatchewan (L.E.S.S.) offers a weekend of seminars and workshops centered around living with lupus. This year, the event is taking place at the Radisson Hotel in Saskatoon on October 18th and 19th. Registration for the event is free of charge. For more information, send an email to less@sasklupus.com.
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| Contributors |
Jennifer Huska
Jaclyn Law
Christina Yau
Chaudry Semalulu
Charlene Johnson
Tyla Teelucksingh
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| Feedback from visitors |
Send us your feedback at getintheloop@gmail.com
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| Living with Lupus |
| A Male Perspective
by Chaudry Semalulu
Although lupus is the disease of 1000 faces, it often affects women more than men. So, of course, it’s difficult to understand what it’s like to me a male with lupus. Chaudry Semalulu shares his thoughts on what it is like to live with this disease. As you read on, you will understand that although we may suffer in different ways, the feelings we often have are quite the same.
My lupus story begins about one year before I was diagnosed. Around April of 2006 I spent a week in the hospital due to insomnia and during this time doctors discovered I had suffered a mild stroke. They could not, however, figure out the cause. ........Read More
Christina's Story
by Christina Yau
I didn't think that writing this story would take long but this took me hours to write. It made me reflect about my life – present, and future, my dreams, what is important to me, what makes me happy. My name is Christina Yau. I’m a registered nurse from Ottawa. I was diagnosed with lupus in August of 2006. What mainly affects me, physically, is my gastro-intestinal system. It’s kind of funny that whenever I get a flare-up, I always get hospitalized on the floor that I work on and my coworkers are taking care of me. I find that every hospitalization I have, it helps me learn about my illness and how to become a better nurse to my patients. ........Read More |
| Keeping Fit |
Arthro-Pilates offers modified exercise to arthritis patients
by Charlene Johnson
Since my last flare, I’ve been looking for ways to continue regular fitness without posing a threat to my condition. I’ve practiced Pilates off and on for the past five years, but have often struggled with movements that don’t recognize my limitations. So of course, when I saw a poster at the lupus clinic for Arthro-PilatesTM it certainly caught my eye.
Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates about 80 years ago, based on the principles of mind over matter, breathing, control, and other elements. It emphasizes using the core muscles to help control the entire body. Like yoga, Pilates exercises are often performed on a mat. ........Read More |
| Making Scents of Aromatherapy |
|  by Jennifer Huska
For over 6000 years, aromatherapy has been helping to ease every day health symptoms felt by people around the world. There are healing properties connected to various essential oils, which were first discovered accidentally in the 1920’s by a French chemist. This French chemist burnt his arm and put it in the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be lavender oil. After doing so, he noticed pain relief right away and that the burn healed quicker with less discomfort and scarring. ........Read More
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| Healthy Eating |
by Jennifer Huska
Well everyone, we’re into spring now and soon summer will be upon us. It’s time  for some fresh, make the taste buds jump, spring and summer recipes for the grill. So lets get out those barbeques and start grilling!!
Recipe #1: Grilled Vegetables on Skewers
This recipe is simply slicing pieces of your favorite veggies onto skewers and can be used as a side dish along with other grilled items or you can add more veggies and make it a complete meal.
Recipe #2: Pizza On The Grill
The grill is the way to go, even for pizza! Heat from a nice, hot grill is perfect for making delicious, tempting pizza.
........Read More
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| Make your Getaway - How to have fun on a microscopic budget |
 by Jaclyn Law
The other day, I read in the paper that the rising cost of travel has convinced a lot of people to spend their holidays at home. There’s even a cheeky new term for this trend: the “staycation.”
The need for cheap entertainment is nothing new for young adults, since our budget tends to be pretty limited anyway. But if you’re looking for fun, inexpensive activities beyond the obvious (DVD rentals, video games and hanging out at the mall food court), read on – we’ve come up with a list of free, cheap and moderately priced mini-getaways that you can enjoy any time. ........Read More
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| Science that Matters |
Cyclophosphamide (the generic name for Cytoxan, Neosar)
by Tyla Teelucksingh
Initially used to treat Cancer, the drug has also been used to treat some autoimmune disorders.
It is a chemotherapy drug that works by slowing or stopping cell growth. It also works by decreasing the immune system's response to various diseases. Its use is becoming more common in autoimmune diseases where disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have been ineffective. ........Read More |
| A closer look at Facebook |
 by Charlene Johnson
The social website Facebook has transformed the way people use the internet to connect with others. The successor to such sites as MySpace and Friendster, over 70 million people worldwide have a Facebook profile.
Despite its popularity, the social networking site has been the subject of much controversy, specifically concerning privacy issues. Like never before, users are making private information public. Oftentimes, this information is also made available to third parties and people they barely know. As one can imagine, a public domain such as Facebook can never be private, and this can pose problems in serious matters. ........Read More
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