Help Marilyn Celeste Morris Fight Lupus This Christmas!

Title of Book: DIAGNOSIS: LUPUS: THE INTIMATE JOURNAL OF A LUPUS PATIENT
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help
Author: Marilyn Celeste Morris

Summary:

When assaulted by a myriad of symptoms including joint pain and severe fatigue, Marilyn Celeste Morris embarked on an intensive, three-year, five-doctor search for diagnosis and treatment of this baffling disease. During that time, she kept a journal to record her feelings of loss of her former self, anger at the medical profession, and yes, even expressed anger at a God that she grew to understand.

Half the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the LFA to help further the search for a cure for this baffling disease. Please click on book cover to order from Amazon and help others in their fight against Lupus. Marilyn fights for her cause by giving up a portion of her book sales, so please, find it in your heart to pick up a copy of her book so that she can continue her relentless campaign to help others fight this baffling disease for which there is no cure.

We asked Marilyn what was the hardest thing about living with Lupus and this was her response:

"The hardest thing about living with lupus is its uncertainty. There is no predictable course for a person's journey with this disease, as in Stage One, Stage Two, etc. It can flare at any time, for any reason, and then go into remission for days, weeks, even years. While I think I might be doing okay today, lupus is silently invading my vital organs, only to present its damage later. Not everybody experiences the same symptoms, either. I have a friend whose lupus presented itself simply by having no kidney function. She had no other signs of active lupus, such as the mylar face rash, rheumatoid symptoms, etc. Another person suddenly had a seizure and it was determined that she had central nervous system involvement from lupus. The ironic thing about her is that she's a marathon runner and can still do that, as long as she takes her anti-seizure meds.

And I have to mention one other "hard thing" about having lupus -- trying to explain to others who tell you, "But you don't look sick!" Of course, what they're saying is, "How can you possibly be sick when you're so --- uh-- so -- fat?" 'We're generally pumped up on cortisone (steroids) which are a blessing and a curse.

But I have learned, as I've lived with this disease and all its surprises, that life itself is uncertain and we have little or no control over some aspects of life. We do what we can. Someday -- and I hope in my lifetime -- we will have an effective cure and nobody on this planet will ever have to live with lupus."

You can visit Marilyn's blog at http://www.theladywithlupus.blogspot.com/.

Because Blogger is being a PITA, if you want to comment, click here.

Tags: The Writer's Life, virtual book tour, author promotions, book publicity, Marilyn Celeste Morris, Diagnoisis: Lupus, living with Lupus

6 comments:

thewriterslife11:42 AM
Welcome to The Writer's Life, Marilyn! And good luck on the rest of your virtual book tour to promote this wonderful book!
Cheryl2:35 PM
Marilyn,

It really is great that you've taken the time to share your experiences with Lupus with others. I'm sure it wasn't easy.

I wish you all the best.

Cheryl M.
Rebecca 3:16 PM
Marilyn,
I wish you success on your virtual book tour.
Jim Melvin4:22 PM
Uncertainty is one of the most difficult things to deal with in life. I'm sure that the advice you give extends even beyond the disease.
Theresa Chaze5:18 PM
Marilyn, you have taken a personal challenge and used it as a way to help other face the same issues. You compassion is amazing. You ability to help others is what makes you special
Anna Mae Botts11:06 AM
Hi, I've got Systemic Lupus. I've got it all plus Cerebritis, inflammation of the brain which sends false messages to my heart telling it to have a major heart attack complete with the pain, numbness, etc., etc., I won't go into details.
The doctors believed I had Lupus as a child, except no one knew about Lupus then. A cure for Lupus isn't going to happen overnight? It's a woman's disease, and not a very important one at that - not compared to Breast Cancer, Alcoholism, Drug dependency or Stroke or other popular childhood diseases that look so well as Poster Children of the Month.
People can see those diseases - the physical and emotional devestation. Once in Texas, a person from the NIMH came to visit and give a quick talk about Lupus patients receiving welfare from the government. The upshot of the meeting was to tell us Lupus patients that since the health professionals and doctors couldn't physically see the symptoms of the disease, there's no way a Lupus patient could collect monies from them.
As a survivor of Lupus, here are the three main ways a patient copes with Lupus reality. 1. Be a Fighter. 2. Have a good mental attitude and self image. 3. Laugh at yourself.
Do all of that plus keep moving, exercising, eating right, and keeping your cool (Lupus is a stress related disease), you too can win over Lupus.
Elizabeth Caldwell, Ann Arbor, MI