Have you ever heard of Lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease.  That means your body begins to attack itself because it does not recognize the difference between foreign bodies and self.  The attack can be upon organs, joints, muscles, blood, and/or skin (which is the largest organ).  It has been diagnosed in some form in 1 out of every 85 Americans. 9 out of 10 of those cases is a woman.  It is known as a silent or invisible disease, as often times, no one can see you have it. Though the pain may be horrific, you will look fine and many will dismiss your symptoms. 

From the official Lupus Website:

More people have the disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (Lupus) than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia and cystic fibrosis combined. Symptoms and disease activities are episodic and range from mild to life threatening. Five thousand people die from Lupus each year, most of which are young women in their childbearing years. The ratio of women to men who contract Lupus is 9 to 1, and we still do not know its cause or cure. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical to the quality of life and survival; therefore, it is vital to reach potential patients and secure a diagnosis and treatment sooner rather than later.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when the immune system, which is supposed to protect the body, becomes hyperactive and forms antibodies that attack healthy tissue and organs including the skin, joints, kidneys, lungs, heart and blood. Lupus is difficult to diagnose, unpredictable, highly individualized, hard to live with and, at times, fatal. In addition, there is no known single cause or cure.

Common symptoms of lupus are generalized aching, weakness, malaise, fatigue, low grade fever, chills, sudden or unexplained loss of weight or hair, anemia, dizziness, butterfly rash (non-itching redness on the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose), sensitivity to sunlight, swelling stiffness, and pain in the joints.