WEBVTT 00:00:15.470 --> 00:00:18.730 Hey there, everybody. Welcome back to Food for 00:00:18.730 --> 00:00:21.510 Thought. Thoughts if it were you, I'm Neogentrix. 00:00:21.710 --> 00:00:24.149 And this is the podcast where we chew down on 00:00:24.149 --> 00:00:27.449 big ideas that shape our lives. Today, we're 00:00:27.449 --> 00:00:31.089 looking into a deep mirror at a shape -shifting 00:00:31.089 --> 00:00:35.189 factor, a medical disease or medical mystery 00:00:35.189 --> 00:00:38.689 known as the disease of a thousand faces. We 00:00:38.689 --> 00:00:43.929 know it as lupus. Imagine your body as a fortress. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:47.020 and your immune system is the highly trained 00:00:47.020 --> 00:00:49.880 army sworn to protect it from invaders like bacteria 00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:53.500 and viruses. It's a marvel of biological engineering, 00:00:53.820 --> 00:00:55.979 able to tell the difference between self and 00:00:55.979 --> 00:01:01.179 non -self with incredible precision. Now, imagine 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:03.479 that army, through some profound case of mistaken 00:01:03.479 --> 00:01:05.900 identity, declares war on the very fortress it's 00:01:05.900 --> 00:01:09.299 supposed to protect. That internal civil war 00:01:09.299 --> 00:01:12.349 is the reality of an autoimmune disease. And 00:01:12.349 --> 00:01:14.870 that's what leads us to the disease of lupus. 00:01:15.609 --> 00:01:18.450 It's the battle that is waged on a thousand different 00:01:18.450 --> 00:01:23.430 fronts. Today, in today's Food for Thought episode, 00:01:23.670 --> 00:01:26.950 lupus is what we'll be discussing. It isn't exactly 00:01:26.950 --> 00:01:29.569 just one disease, if I'm being perfectly fair. 00:01:29.950 --> 00:01:32.390 It's a shape -shifting type of disease, an illness 00:01:32.390 --> 00:01:35.769 that conforms to no single pattern, manifesting 00:01:35.769 --> 00:01:38.310 in a vast and unpredictable range of symptoms 00:01:38.310 --> 00:01:40.829 that make it incredibly difficult to diagnose. 00:01:41.629 --> 00:01:45.650 treat and or live with. This isn't just a clinical 00:01:45.650 --> 00:01:49.349 descriptor either. It speaks to a deeper psychological 00:01:49.349 --> 00:01:52.609 burden. Living with lupus means confronting an 00:01:52.609 --> 00:01:54.590 illness that makes it hard to trust your own 00:01:54.590 --> 00:01:57.569 body, challenging your sense of self. It's a 00:01:57.569 --> 00:01:59.890 chronic long -term condition that is not contagious. 00:02:00.250 --> 00:02:02.930 It's an invisible illness that requires a deep 00:02:02.930 --> 00:02:05.689 well of resilience from those who live with it 00:02:05.689 --> 00:02:09.610 every single day. Today, we're going to demystify 00:02:09.610 --> 00:02:12.370 this complex condition. We'll break it down into 00:02:12.370 --> 00:02:15.349 what it really is, what autoimmunity really is, 00:02:15.449 --> 00:02:18.189 unmask the thousand faces of lupus by looking 00:02:18.189 --> 00:02:21.349 at its symptoms, exploring the shocking disparities 00:02:21.349 --> 00:02:24.569 in who it affects, and finally look at the hope 00:02:24.569 --> 00:02:26.689 on the horizon for treatment and management. 00:02:27.330 --> 00:02:31.650 Y 'all ready? Well then, let's break that down, 00:02:31.729 --> 00:03:17.449 shall we? right everybody and we're back all 00:03:17.449 --> 00:03:22.270 right so let's check out lupus this will be your 00:03:22.270 --> 00:03:24.669 guide to the disease of a thousand faces let's 00:03:24.669 --> 00:03:27.569 get started shall we first off the science of 00:03:27.569 --> 00:03:32.110 what is autoimmunity first off to really understand 00:03:32.110 --> 00:03:34.330 lupus we first have to get a handle on this concept 00:03:34.330 --> 00:03:39.430 of autoimmune oh no autoimmunity mouthful it's 00:03:39.430 --> 00:03:42.289 a first off it's a healthy immune a healthy immune 00:03:42.289 --> 00:03:45.400 system is your personal defense force, right? 00:03:45.460 --> 00:03:48.639 So it produces proteins called antibodies that 00:03:48.639 --> 00:03:51.340 target germs, right? So the whole system is built 00:03:51.340 --> 00:03:53.719 on its ability to distinguish your own healthy 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:56.460 tissues from foreign invaders, right? This is 00:03:56.460 --> 00:03:59.060 how your healthy immune system functions like 00:03:59.060 --> 00:04:01.919 it's supposed to. It basically helps you define 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:05.020 how your system is supposed to work in ways that 00:04:05.020 --> 00:04:09.020 it's naturally designed to, right? Second is 00:04:09.020 --> 00:04:12.909 the autoimmune mistake. In an autoimmune disease, 00:04:13.289 --> 00:04:15.710 the recognition system completely breaks down, 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:19.110 right? So the immune system mistakenly identifies 00:04:19.110 --> 00:04:22.509 your own healthy cells as threats and then launches 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:25.149 attacks on them and starts targeting and destroying 00:04:25.149 --> 00:04:28.589 the normal body cells of your, you know, skin, 00:04:28.769 --> 00:04:32.790 body, organs, what have you. This leads to the 00:04:32.790 --> 00:04:36.129 next phase, autoantibodies and inflammation. 00:04:37.069 --> 00:04:40.889 Instead of helpful antibodies, it creates autoantibodies. 00:04:42.790 --> 00:04:46.310 This attack triggers chronic inflammation, redness, 00:04:46.389 --> 00:04:49.329 swelling, heat, pain, which causes the tissue 00:04:49.329 --> 00:04:52.269 damage that defines the condition. Not every 00:04:52.269 --> 00:04:54.009 time you have inflammation does this mean that 00:04:54.009 --> 00:04:56.750 you have lupus, but it does say that there is 00:04:56.750 --> 00:04:58.930 a possibility that it's there. Sometimes it's 00:04:58.930 --> 00:05:01.410 just caused from self -inflicted injury from... 00:05:01.800 --> 00:05:04.160 falling or hitting something too hard. And this 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.319 is a normal reaction that your body has because 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:08.620 it's supposed to be trying to defend itself and 00:05:08.620 --> 00:05:10.459 figure out what's going on so it can correct 00:05:10.459 --> 00:05:12.500 it. But in this case, it doesn't actually do 00:05:12.500 --> 00:05:17.120 this, which then leads to SLE. I'm sorry, SLE, 00:05:17.259 --> 00:05:19.459 not SLI. That's a completely different disease. 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:23.680 One we'll cover in the future. The most common 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:30.620 form of SLI or systematic lupus erythematosus. 00:05:32.259 --> 00:05:37.000 is that it's systematic, right? Because it's 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:41.139 a self -attacking protein that can happen in 00:05:41.139 --> 00:05:43.800 virtually any part of the body. It can happen 00:05:43.800 --> 00:05:46.459 in the joints, the skin, the kidneys, the heart, 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:50.120 the brain, the lungs. And in which case, I guess 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:51.519 you can kind of figure, depending on where it 00:05:51.519 --> 00:05:53.480 is, it could be immediately deadly or it could 00:05:53.480 --> 00:05:58.500 be something that spirals over time. The course 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:01.509 of the disease is famously unpredictable. It's 00:06:01.509 --> 00:06:03.709 marked by episodes of illness called flares, 00:06:03.810 --> 00:06:06.629 when symptoms get worse, followed by a period 00:06:06.629 --> 00:06:08.930 of weakness or remission when they start to improve. 00:06:09.930 --> 00:06:12.149 This constant uncertainty is one of the hardest 00:06:12.149 --> 00:06:14.110 parts of living with this disease, and it's one 00:06:14.110 --> 00:06:15.709 of the things that makes it hard for a lot of 00:06:15.709 --> 00:06:18.689 people to deal with it. Understandably so, right? 00:06:21.589 --> 00:06:25.009 Next, let's talk about those symptoms. Because, 00:06:25.009 --> 00:06:27.990 honestly, I feel like we need to cover them in 00:06:27.990 --> 00:06:34.160 more detail, right? So, when we talk about the 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.120 thousand faces of lupus, we're talking about 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:39.019 its huge variety of symptoms. Someone with lupus 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:42.439 might hear, but you don't look sick to me. Well, 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.980 they're actually experiencing debilitating fatigue 00:06:45.980 --> 00:06:52.199 or life -threatening organ damage. So, let's 00:06:52.199 --> 00:06:55.720 break down some of the most common signs. First 00:06:55.720 --> 00:06:57.240 things first, we'll talk about the universal 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:02.480 burdens. The single most common symptom is a 00:07:02.480 --> 00:07:04.939 pervasiveness, a debilitating fatigue affecting 00:07:04.939 --> 00:07:09.860 up to 90 % of the patients. An unexplained persistent 00:07:09.860 --> 00:07:13.120 low -grade fever where your head, you're constantly 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:15.720 burning up, but not like to a high degree, but 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:19.160 at low bursts. Next would be painful swollen 00:07:19.160 --> 00:07:21.620 joints, often in the hands, wrists, and knees, 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:24.540 which are typically worse in the morning. Not 00:07:24.540 --> 00:07:27.240 so much throughout the day. It does lighten up 00:07:27.240 --> 00:07:30.060 somewhat from what I've been told. I have a friend 00:07:30.060 --> 00:07:33.180 who has lupus, so in their situation, it would 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:35.500 lighten up in the afternoons and then again pick 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:38.759 up in the evenings. But it was mostly more unbearable 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:43.839 in the mornings. Next would be visual signs, 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:48.899 such as skin and hair. The most distinctive sign 00:07:48.899 --> 00:07:54.860 is the butterfly rash or malar rash. I'm pretty 00:07:54.860 --> 00:07:56.439 sure it's pronounced malar, but I'm going to 00:07:56.439 --> 00:07:58.680 say malar because it looks about right to me. 00:07:59.040 --> 00:08:00.759 If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me in the 00:08:00.759 --> 00:08:04.160 comment section. But anyway, spreading across 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:07.560 the cheeks and the nose in almost half the patients. 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:10.639 You can tell from the way it's shaped what it 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:12.079 is because it'll kind of look like a butterfly. 00:08:12.480 --> 00:08:15.759 Next is photosensitivity, where exposure to UV 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:18.399 light can not only just trigger a rash, but it 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:20.240 can also trigger what's known as a full body 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.620 flare. And in some people's case, which is unfortunate, 00:08:23.899 --> 00:08:26.439 hair loss and small painful sores inside the 00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:29.569 mouth or nose are also common. Some of these 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:31.870 may not be immediately noticeable, but they do 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:34.429 tend to flare up and become more obvious over 00:08:34.429 --> 00:08:37.049 time, so keep that in mind. If you know someone 00:08:37.049 --> 00:08:38.950 who may or may not have it, keep an eye on them. 00:08:39.590 --> 00:08:41.570 You want to be encouraging to these people. You 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:42.809 don't want to bring them down. They're already 00:08:42.809 --> 00:08:44.610 going through the thick of it. They don't need 00:08:44.610 --> 00:08:49.269 anyone else's help, okay? Then there's the invisible 00:08:49.269 --> 00:08:52.950 dangers. Oh, the invisible dangers. This is the 00:08:52.950 --> 00:08:55.450 stuff that happens to internal organs. First 00:08:55.450 --> 00:08:58.330 off, kidney involvement, or lupus nephritis as 00:08:58.330 --> 00:09:01.090 it's known. This is one of the most serious complications. 00:09:01.409 --> 00:09:03.950 The immune system attacks the kidneys, filtering 00:09:03.950 --> 00:09:06.370 units which can lead to kidney failure, which 00:09:06.370 --> 00:09:08.830 is bad in most people's cases. Obviously, if 00:09:08.830 --> 00:09:10.950 you can't filter the poisons and toxins out of 00:09:10.950 --> 00:09:13.389 your body, that tends to back up in your system, 00:09:13.470 --> 00:09:15.629 and you can end up dying from poisoning that 00:09:15.629 --> 00:09:19.169 way. Next would be the brain and nervous system. 00:09:19.710 --> 00:09:21.590 You kind of have to include them both together 00:09:21.590 --> 00:09:23.509 as they're completely attached to each other, 00:09:23.570 --> 00:09:25.970 and if you separate them, you could almost paralyze 00:09:25.970 --> 00:09:28.309 someone, if not kill them. Keep that in mind. 00:09:28.389 --> 00:09:31.669 This is not a guide on how to wipe someone out. 00:09:31.750 --> 00:09:35.690 I'm talking about how this disease slowly but 00:09:35.690 --> 00:09:39.409 surely wipes certain people off the map, or basically 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:42.129 turns either some people into vegetables or kills 00:09:42.129 --> 00:09:44.769 them. Which is unfortunate, but I mean, this 00:09:44.769 --> 00:09:49.830 is what happens, right? Anyway, this can... When 00:09:49.830 --> 00:09:51.409 it attacks the brain and nervous system, this 00:09:51.409 --> 00:09:54.049 can cause everything from headaches to dizziness 00:09:54.049 --> 00:09:56.929 to memory problems and even a frustrated cognitive 00:09:56.929 --> 00:10:00.649 impairment known as brain fog where everything's 00:10:00.649 --> 00:10:03.830 just blank for like a set period and you can't 00:10:03.830 --> 00:10:06.210 come up with nothing or say or do anything. It's 00:10:06.210 --> 00:10:10.830 not great. Trust me. Next would be the heart 00:10:10.830 --> 00:10:15.250 and lungs. It can cause sharp chest pains from 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:17.669 inflammation of the surrounding membranes or 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:21.820 It can also increase the long -term risk of cardiovascular 00:10:21.820 --> 00:10:25.299 disease, which is not great. There's also the 00:10:25.299 --> 00:10:27.500 issue of blood disorders. It can cause anemia, 00:10:27.539 --> 00:10:32.039 increase the risk of dangerous blood clots. So, 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:34.740 before we go any further, just a little food 00:10:34.740 --> 00:10:38.940 for thought. You know, how is it that one disease 00:10:38.940 --> 00:10:43.580 can be so widespread and so devastating? Think 00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:46.820 about this for a minute. If it's not cancer, 00:10:46.899 --> 00:10:50.360 it's lupus. Cancer destroys the cells, right? 00:10:51.019 --> 00:10:53.919 And then spreads and spreads and spreads and 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:57.059 slowly but surely the cells are dying as they're 00:10:57.059 --> 00:11:00.379 being converted or infected with cancer versus 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.159 the other way around with lupus where the system 00:11:03.159 --> 00:11:06.340 is literally attacking itself and making itself 00:11:06.340 --> 00:11:09.059 shut down because its inability to function as 00:11:09.059 --> 00:11:12.230 a result of all the damaged cells. While they 00:11:12.230 --> 00:11:14.850 both kind of play out almost exactly the same 00:11:14.850 --> 00:11:18.149 to a certain degree, one's more detrimental than 00:11:18.149 --> 00:11:21.289 the other. And while the death count on one is 00:11:21.289 --> 00:11:25.049 probably nowhere near the other, it's just something 00:11:25.049 --> 00:12:00.019 to consider, you know? All right, everybody. 00:12:00.600 --> 00:12:04.320 So let's go ahead and move on to the third part 00:12:04.320 --> 00:12:07.620 of this, right? So here's the next question. 00:12:07.779 --> 00:12:11.720 Who gets lupus? The stark disparities that exist 00:12:11.720 --> 00:12:14.919 within it, right? This isn't a disease that affects 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:17.259 everyone equally, okay? And the data reveals 00:12:17.259 --> 00:12:20.399 some truly striking disparities, like for one, 00:12:20.440 --> 00:12:23.159 gender, right? An estimated 9 out of 10 people 00:12:23.159 --> 00:12:25.840 diagnosed with lupus are women. Most often... 00:12:26.139 --> 00:12:28.259 stricken during their childbearing years from 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:30.899 the age of 15 to 44. That's typically when they'll 00:12:30.899 --> 00:12:34.419 see it. Or how about the race and ethnicity data 00:12:34.419 --> 00:12:37.220 that we have? Lupus is two to three times more 00:12:37.220 --> 00:12:39.659 prevalent among women of color, including those 00:12:39.659 --> 00:12:42.559 of African -American descent, Hispanic, Latinas, 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:45.480 Asian -Americans, and Native American descent 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:48.860 than most white people, or white women, rather. 00:12:49.799 --> 00:12:52.360 Or how about the severity of it? Okay, let's 00:12:52.360 --> 00:12:55.000 look at that. Women from these minority groups 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.200 tend to develop lupus at a younger age, experience 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.320 more severe complications, and even have higher 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:03.460 mortality rates. Because of this, lupus is one 00:13:03.460 --> 00:13:06.240 of the leading causes of death among young black 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:09.340 and Hispanic women, especially if untreated. 00:13:09.559 --> 00:13:11.620 A lot of people don't even recognize it. They 00:13:11.620 --> 00:13:13.240 just kind of see it as like, oh, they're just 00:13:13.240 --> 00:13:14.759 sick. We need to take care of them. We need to 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:17.240 do this. We need to do X, Y, and Z. But in reality, 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.899 that's not really the case, you know? It's one 00:13:20.899 --> 00:13:22.840 of those things where it's just kind of like, 00:13:22.919 --> 00:13:30.360 how do I describe it? It's one of those things 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.779 where you have to kind of be attentive, notice 00:13:33.779 --> 00:13:37.960 when something is out of turn, right? So how 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:42.799 do I put it? What causes it? Well, the honest 00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.340 answer is that nobody exactly knows the cause. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:47.820 As far as most of the data in the notes show 00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:51.740 from my research. It's still unknown. And I've 00:13:51.740 --> 00:13:53.279 looked through quite a few. There's a lot of 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.740 theories out there, but there's no concrete answer. 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.179 Researchers still believe it follows a perfect 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:02.100 storm model requiring a combination of set things 00:14:02.100 --> 00:14:06.039 like genetic predisposition. It can run in a 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:09.139 family or it could be hormones. The nine to one 00:14:09.139 --> 00:14:12.179 female ratio strongly points to hormones, especially 00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:15.159 estrogen levels that can trigger it. Or it could 00:14:15.159 --> 00:14:17.139 be environmental triggers, things like sunlight, 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:20.179 viral infections, or even. Severe stress can 00:14:20.179 --> 00:14:22.240 be the final push that activates this disease 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:25.240 and it just runs rampant in your body. No one 00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:30.220 really knows. So given all this complexity, how 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:32.940 do you even diagnose a disease that looks like 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:36.200 so many other things all at once, right? It's 00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:39.460 a process that more than likely requires a lot 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:42.340 more detective work than a simple test. You know, 00:14:42.379 --> 00:14:44.379 it's easy to give someone different tests for 00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:46.820 different things, but those tests are going to 00:14:46.820 --> 00:14:49.240 show. If it's lupus, it's going to show for just 00:14:49.240 --> 00:14:52.200 about everything. Now, I know you guys, for some 00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:53.799 of y 'all that are listening or watching, a lot 00:14:53.799 --> 00:14:55.659 of y 'all have seen the show House. And in that 00:14:55.659 --> 00:14:57.919 show, a lot of the times when they're trying 00:14:57.919 --> 00:14:59.860 to diagnose what the issue is with a lot of the 00:14:59.860 --> 00:15:02.080 patients in the series, one of the first things 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.779 they automatically go to is lupus. Because if 00:15:04.779 --> 00:15:08.379 it looks like it can be a multiple task of literally 00:15:08.379 --> 00:15:11.059 almost everything, more than likely it's going 00:15:11.059 --> 00:15:13.980 to be lupus versus cancer. Cancer is very specific 00:15:13.980 --> 00:15:16.679 with what it does and how it affects people. 00:15:17.509 --> 00:15:19.730 versus lupus, which is the complete opposite. 00:15:20.190 --> 00:15:24.269 In this case, lupus looks like everything. Cancer 00:15:24.269 --> 00:15:26.049 is going to look like one thing. It's either 00:15:26.049 --> 00:15:27.370 going to be a lump, and it's either going to 00:15:27.370 --> 00:15:29.049 force something to shut down or not function 00:15:29.049 --> 00:15:31.830 properly, versus this, where everything is not 00:15:31.830 --> 00:15:36.110 functioning properly all at once. You know, like, 00:15:36.230 --> 00:15:39.509 how do I put it? Lupus symptoms overlap with 00:15:39.509 --> 00:15:41.750 many other conditions, which is why, on average, 00:15:41.809 --> 00:15:43.870 it usually takes nearly six years for a person 00:15:43.870 --> 00:15:45.710 to even get an accurate diagnosis for the first 00:15:45.710 --> 00:15:50.529 time. for the time they first notice any symptoms. 00:15:50.970 --> 00:15:55.889 There's no single test for lupus. What was it 00:15:55.889 --> 00:15:57.649 called? A rheumatologist, that's the word I'm 00:15:57.649 --> 00:15:59.850 looking for, has to piece together clues from 00:15:59.850 --> 00:16:02.029 the patient's symptoms, a physical exam, if you 00:16:02.029 --> 00:16:06.049 will, and a series of lab tests. Then they have 00:16:06.049 --> 00:16:08.549 to perform something called the ANA test, or 00:16:08.549 --> 00:16:12.950 rather, the anti -nuclear antibodies exam. It's 00:16:12.950 --> 00:16:15.970 the primary method of screening. used in blood 00:16:15.970 --> 00:16:18.169 to be able to figure out whether or not they 00:16:18.169 --> 00:16:21.149 have it. A negative test makes lupus highly unlikely, 00:16:21.330 --> 00:16:25.029 which is a good thing, but it doesn't, it's, 00:16:25.029 --> 00:16:27.950 how do I put it? It's not 100%. If any of these 00:16:27.950 --> 00:16:30.230 tests were 100%, we'd be able to diagnose it 00:16:30.230 --> 00:16:32.730 off out the wazoo, and we'd know who has it, 00:16:32.750 --> 00:16:34.789 who doesn't, making it a little bit easier to, 00:16:34.850 --> 00:16:38.149 you know, to treat, but that's not the case. 00:16:38.629 --> 00:16:41.970 To standardize the diagnosis, doctors use a point 00:16:41.970 --> 00:16:44.860 -based checklist. If a patient's score for various 00:16:44.860 --> 00:16:46.940 symptoms and lab results reaches 10 or more, 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:50.139 then they're more than likely classified to have 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:54.659 or possibly have lupus in some strain or form 00:16:54.659 --> 00:16:57.399 or another, which is, again, like I said, not 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:00.519 a very good thing. It's unfortunate, if you will. 00:17:30.189 --> 00:17:36.049 all right let's get back to this let's talk about 00:17:36.049 --> 00:17:41.069 living with lupus um it's a continuous journey 00:17:41.069 --> 00:17:45.210 like i said there's no uh cure for it whatsoever, 00:17:45.549 --> 00:17:48.789 which is kind of sad, right? But the goal of 00:17:48.789 --> 00:17:50.630 the treatment is to control the disease and improve 00:17:50.630 --> 00:17:53.009 the quality of life by preventing flares and 00:17:53.009 --> 00:17:55.910 reducing organ damage. That's the end goal here 00:17:55.910 --> 00:17:58.369 for a lot of people. It's unfortunate that this 00:17:58.369 --> 00:18:00.769 is what they have to go through, but I mean, 00:18:00.869 --> 00:18:04.990 what can you do? Within the medical toolkit, 00:18:05.150 --> 00:18:07.049 there are three things I want to point out, right? 00:18:07.750 --> 00:18:12.890 First is anti -malarials, right? They're like 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:16.880 It's a cornerstone of treatment for almost every 00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:21.160 patient to reduce flares. It's like Plaquenil, 00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:24.240 if that makes perfect sense, for those who know 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:27.200 what that is. The second one is steroids, right? 00:18:27.299 --> 00:18:31.160 It can be lifesaving during serious flares, but 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:33.660 they have significant long -term side effects, 00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:36.079 as you're aware, right? It's one of those things 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:41.509 you have to keep in mind. The last one in the 00:18:41.509 --> 00:18:44.390 medical toolkit that they have are immunosuppressants 00:18:44.390 --> 00:18:49.269 and biologics, or in other words, more advanced 00:18:49.269 --> 00:18:52.789 drugs used for severe cases to suppress or target 00:18:52.789 --> 00:18:56.650 specific parts of the immune system. When your 00:18:56.650 --> 00:18:59.410 immune system goes on an autoimmune rampage, 00:18:59.549 --> 00:19:01.769 the best thing that you can do is suppress their 00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:04.960 immune system. Long enough for the assault to 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.240 stop. The downside to this is that it basically 00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:10.279 makes the person almost immunocompromised. In 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:13.220 this state, that means even a common cold or 00:19:13.220 --> 00:19:16.400 a sneeze from a passing by person who just happened 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.299 to walk into something that just triggered a 00:19:19.299 --> 00:19:23.599 sneeze could kill them. This is very, very... 00:19:23.599 --> 00:19:29.220 What's the word I'm looking for here? Drastic? 00:19:29.319 --> 00:19:31.660 I don't know. I guess the word I'm looking for 00:19:31.660 --> 00:19:34.819 here is it's important to note that a person 00:19:34.819 --> 00:19:38.980 with lupus is in a higher risk bracket of being 00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:41.460 killed by the simplest things as a result of 00:19:41.460 --> 00:19:46.220 it or any of these treatments in any case. That 00:19:46.220 --> 00:19:52.339 their safety and their need to be comfortable 00:19:52.339 --> 00:19:55.700 takes a priority. It doesn't matter whether you 00:19:55.700 --> 00:19:57.579 feel some kind of way about it, whether you think 00:19:57.579 --> 00:20:00.000 that it's a lie, it doesn't matter. You don't 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.279 know for a fact in your mind whether or not they're 00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:05.440 okay or not. You don't know if they're just sitting 00:20:05.440 --> 00:20:10.160 there suffering. And more times than not, they 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:13.359 are. They are sitting there suffering all by 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:17.299 themselves, no one to help them, and no one to 00:20:17.299 --> 00:20:21.579 help them or make them feel better. And by confronting 00:20:21.579 --> 00:20:23.960 them about it every single day, you're not making 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:27.380 the situation any better. So it's something just 00:20:27.380 --> 00:20:29.339 to keep in mind as far as this is concerned. 00:20:30.039 --> 00:20:32.019 The next thing I want to go ahead and point out 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:36.200 is the lifestyle. Like I said, this can be a 00:20:36.200 --> 00:20:38.579 very detrimental time for anybody who has it, 00:20:38.619 --> 00:20:41.759 right? So if they were to go outside, sun protection 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.579 is a must. Rigorous use of sunscreen and protective 00:20:44.579 --> 00:20:46.619 clothing is non -negotiable. They don't have 00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:48.680 a choice in this matter. Next would be their 00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:51.579 diet and exercise. An anti -inflammatory diet 00:20:51.579 --> 00:20:53.920 and gentle exercise can calm back the fatigue, 00:20:53.980 --> 00:20:56.779 even just a little bit. Next would be stress 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:59.039 management. Since stress is a known trigger, 00:20:59.180 --> 00:21:02.000 techniques like mindfulness are crucial. Things 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:04.240 that you have to keep in mind. And then there's 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:07.079 the last one, self -awareness. The key to living 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:10.200 with lupus is recognizing or learning to recognize 00:21:10.200 --> 00:21:12.519 your personal warning signs of an impeding flare 00:21:12.519 --> 00:21:16.420 -up. Especially since you know that in the slight 00:21:16.420 --> 00:21:22.599 instance of a simple sneeze or a simple... What's 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:25.640 the word I'm looking for here? miscalculation 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:28.539 could be your last. And that's something that 00:21:28.539 --> 00:21:33.880 I want people to think about. You know? Alright. 00:21:34.339 --> 00:21:40.460 So, let's talk about that unseen battle. We've 00:21:40.460 --> 00:21:43.220 talked about the science, the symptoms, and the 00:21:43.220 --> 00:21:45.920 treatments. But to truly understand lupus, we 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:48.400 need to talk about something that can't be measured 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:51.000 in a blood test. The daily reality of living 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:55.079 with a chronic or often invisible illness. This 00:21:55.079 --> 00:21:57.900 is where the real food for thought here comes 00:21:57.900 --> 00:22:01.299 in. For many people with lupus, one of the most 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:03.579 frustrating battles is against perception. On 00:22:03.579 --> 00:22:05.200 a good day, they might look perfectly healthy 00:22:05.200 --> 00:22:08.019 on the outside. They're not in a wheelchair. 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:11.559 They don't have a cast. But on the inside, they 00:22:11.559 --> 00:22:14.539 could be fighting debilitating fatigue, brain 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:17.680 fog, intense pain. Like I said before, this disconnect 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:20.339 is the core of what's known as invisible illness. 00:22:20.940 --> 00:22:22.880 To help people understand this, the chronic illness 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:25.539 community developed a powerful metaphor that 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:27.640 I want to share with you. It's called the spoon 00:22:27.640 --> 00:22:35.779 theory. Now, follow with me here. In the spoon 00:22:35.779 --> 00:22:39.500 theory, imagine you wake up every day with a 00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:42.099 limited number of spoons. Let's say you get 12 00:22:42.099 --> 00:22:46.180 spoons for the day. Each spoon represents a finite 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:49.400 unit of physical and mental energy. Every single 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:52.059 action you take costs you spoons. Most games 00:22:52.059 --> 00:22:54.059 have this concept where you only have so many 00:22:54.059 --> 00:22:57.259 tasks that you can do with whatever you have. 00:22:57.400 --> 00:22:58.859 Example would be kindergarten. You have like 00:22:58.859 --> 00:23:01.319 five apples for each room or each section of 00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:05.319 the game, right? So if each action you take costs 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:08.160 you spoons, then that means getting out of bed, 00:23:08.259 --> 00:23:11.619 that's one spoon. Taking a shower, there's another 00:23:11.619 --> 00:23:14.119 one. Making breakfast, oh, there's another one. 00:23:14.359 --> 00:23:17.140 How about getting dressed? There's a spoon. How 00:23:17.140 --> 00:23:18.579 about commuting to work? Well, that one might 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:20.359 cost you two spoons because not only do you have 00:23:20.359 --> 00:23:22.059 to deal with driving and getting in your car, 00:23:22.119 --> 00:23:23.599 you've got to deal with the people that's outside. 00:23:24.359 --> 00:23:27.539 Oh, there's a topic for later, talking about 00:23:27.539 --> 00:23:30.819 driving. My point of the matter here is that 00:23:30.819 --> 00:23:33.019 you haven't even started your workday. You're 00:23:33.019 --> 00:23:35.099 already down to six spoons. That's half of what 00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:37.700 you already got. A healthy person wakes up with 00:23:37.700 --> 00:23:40.099 what feels like an unlimited supply of spoons. 00:23:40.180 --> 00:23:42.140 They don't even have to think about it. But for 00:23:42.140 --> 00:23:44.410 a person with lupus? They don't have a choice. 00:23:44.569 --> 00:23:46.490 They have to meticulously budget their energy 00:23:46.490 --> 00:23:49.069 every single minute of every single day so that 00:23:49.069 --> 00:23:51.710 they know what they can and can't do. Do they 00:23:51.710 --> 00:23:53.230 have enough spoons to go to the grocery store 00:23:53.230 --> 00:23:55.769 after work? Maybe, but that might mean that they 00:23:55.769 --> 00:23:57.390 won't have enough spoons left over to cook dinner 00:23:57.390 --> 00:23:59.990 when they even get home. Do they want to go out 00:23:59.990 --> 00:24:02.349 with friends? No, that could probably cost them 00:24:02.349 --> 00:24:04.890 three or four spoons, right? Leaving them with 00:24:04.890 --> 00:24:08.690 energy debt rather than, or deficit rather, rather 00:24:08.690 --> 00:24:12.690 than energy left for whatever they need. They'll 00:24:12.690 --> 00:24:14.970 have to pay back the extra fatigue for the next 00:24:14.970 --> 00:24:17.269 two days. That means they're stuck in bed for 00:24:17.269 --> 00:24:22.450 God knows however long. The spoon theory is a 00:24:22.450 --> 00:24:24.089 brilliant way to explain this concept of unlimited 00:24:24.089 --> 00:24:27.269 energy and the difficult choices people with 00:24:27.269 --> 00:24:29.250 chronic fatigue have to make constantly. It's 00:24:29.250 --> 00:24:31.869 not about being lazy or unmotivated. It's about 00:24:31.869 --> 00:24:34.329 a real physical limit that these healthy people 00:24:34.329 --> 00:24:43.660 can't see. It's easy to say, well, you look perfectly 00:24:43.660 --> 00:24:46.259 fine. You should be able to do this. No, it doesn't 00:24:46.259 --> 00:24:48.599 work that way. They're no different than a handicapped 00:24:48.599 --> 00:24:51.839 person. Okay? I mean, personally speaking from 00:24:51.839 --> 00:24:54.019 experience here. Just because someone looks like 00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:57.140 they're fine doesn't mean they are. You know? 00:24:58.619 --> 00:25:01.740 And it's an unseen battle that extends to the 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:04.039 mental health of the person, too. The connection 00:25:04.039 --> 00:25:05.920 between lupus and mental health conditions like 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:07.779 depression and anxiety are not just psychological. 00:25:08.430 --> 00:25:12.029 reaction to being sick it's it's a direct biological 00:25:12.029 --> 00:25:15.349 one the same inflammation that attacks the joints 00:25:15.349 --> 00:25:18.950 and skins can also cross the blood brain barrier 00:25:18.950 --> 00:25:20.369 you know that thing we've been talking about 00:25:20.369 --> 00:25:23.130 over the last couple of episodes here and affect 00:25:23.130 --> 00:25:25.349 the brain itself contributing to the brain fog 00:25:25.349 --> 00:25:27.750 or memory issues or in worse people's cases mood 00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:30.349 disorders so their mood seems to swing left and 00:25:30.349 --> 00:25:33.089 right no matter what they do living with constant 00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:35.269 uncertainty of flares the stress of managing 00:25:35.269 --> 00:25:38.359 medical appointments And the frustration of physical 00:25:38.359 --> 00:25:40.579 limitation creates a perfect storm for mental 00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:43.500 health challenges. These are kinds of people 00:25:43.500 --> 00:25:45.779 that deal with mental disease or mental health 00:25:45.779 --> 00:25:50.400 issues on the daily. So how can we as friends, 00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:53.279 family, and colleagues be a better support system? 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:57.500 How can we help? Right? First and most importantly, 00:25:57.599 --> 00:25:59.759 believe them. When someone with an invisible 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:01.559 illness tells you that they're in pain or too 00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:04.779 fatigued to do something, your belief is the 00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:07.220 most powerful gift that you can give. Don't say, 00:26:07.259 --> 00:26:10.039 but you look so good, or you look help. Don't 00:26:10.039 --> 00:26:14.359 say that. Okay? That phrase, often while in tension, 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:18.779 can feel invalidated, deeply invalidating, and 00:26:18.779 --> 00:26:21.299 in some cases, suppressing of how they actually 00:26:21.299 --> 00:26:24.920 feel. Second, be flexible. Understand that plans 00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:26.519 may need to change at the last minute because 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:30.680 of a flare -up. There is no no, or rather, their 00:26:30.680 --> 00:26:33.380 no isn't a rejection on you when they tell you, 00:26:33.420 --> 00:26:35.920 oh, I can't do that, or I'm sorry. I don't think 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:38.660 I can help you with that today. It's an act of 00:26:38.660 --> 00:26:40.400 self -preservation. They're doing it for their 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:44.519 own safety, their own needs, right? Third, offer 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:47.720 specific help. Help, not health. If you could 00:26:47.720 --> 00:26:50.380 offer help, that would be great. Offer specific 00:26:50.380 --> 00:26:54.759 help, okay? Instead of saying, let me know if 00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:57.140 you need anything, which puts the burden on them 00:26:57.140 --> 00:27:01.160 to ask or try to say things like, I'm going to 00:27:01.160 --> 00:27:06.319 the store. try asking them, do you need me to 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:09.460 go to the store for you? Or rather, I can go 00:27:09.460 --> 00:27:11.319 to the store for you. Can I pick up your groceries 00:27:11.319 --> 00:27:14.140 for you? Anything of that nature. Or I have some 00:27:14.140 --> 00:27:15.839 free time on Tuesday. Can I help you with laundry 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:20.839 or meal prep? Give back. Take the initiative. 00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:23.140 Try to be that person that they can come to for 00:27:23.140 --> 00:27:25.579 help. That way they don't have to burn out all 00:27:25.579 --> 00:27:27.500 of their spoons before they ever get the chance 00:27:27.500 --> 00:27:29.900 to complete whatever they need to do. And in 00:27:29.900 --> 00:27:32.099 this case, I guess you can kind of say this is 00:27:32.099 --> 00:27:34.970 like a... forward way of saying kindness is the 00:27:34.970 --> 00:27:38.809 answer, but in all honesty, this is about being 00:27:38.809 --> 00:27:41.250 less selfish. These people don't have a choice. 00:27:41.390 --> 00:27:46.089 You do. And finally, educate yourself. By listening 00:27:46.089 --> 00:27:48.730 to podcasts like this one or reading articles 00:27:48.730 --> 00:27:51.150 from the Lupus Foundation, you're already taking 00:27:51.150 --> 00:27:53.289 a huge step. The more you understand, the more 00:27:53.289 --> 00:27:55.450 empathetic and effective your support will be. 00:27:56.170 --> 00:27:58.150 Understand that this unseen battle is crucial. 00:27:58.750 --> 00:28:01.369 Because it's the understanding that we find the 00:28:01.369 --> 00:28:03.490 true path to hope and healing that we can help 00:28:03.490 --> 00:28:33.950 them with. Okay? All right, everybody. Let's 00:28:33.950 --> 00:28:35.329 go ahead and finish this off. I have one more 00:28:35.329 --> 00:28:38.609 thing I would like to break down, okay? The differences 00:28:38.609 --> 00:28:41.309 between lupus and cancer. I know I keep bringing 00:28:41.309 --> 00:28:42.849 up the two, but let me actually go ahead and 00:28:42.849 --> 00:28:44.170 confront this head -on and tell you what the 00:28:44.170 --> 00:28:46.190 difference is. The fundamental difference between 00:28:46.190 --> 00:28:49.569 attack versus growth, okay? On the most basic 00:28:49.569 --> 00:28:52.150 level, the difference is this. Lupus is an autoimmune 00:28:52.150 --> 00:28:53.990 disease, like we just discussed. All of that 00:28:53.990 --> 00:28:55.769 that we just went over, right? This means the 00:28:55.769 --> 00:28:58.049 body's own immune system, which is supposed to 00:28:58.049 --> 00:29:00.490 be its defender, mistakenly attacks its own healthy 00:29:00.490 --> 00:29:03.799 tissues and organs. It's a disease of self -attack, 00:29:03.920 --> 00:29:06.160 right? Okay, well, what is the difference between 00:29:06.160 --> 00:29:08.839 that and cancer? Well, cancer is a disease of 00:29:08.839 --> 00:29:11.099 uncontrolled cell growth. This means the body's 00:29:11.099 --> 00:29:13.480 own cells mutate and begin to multiply without 00:29:13.480 --> 00:29:19.079 limit, forming tumors, not tuners, they don't 00:29:19.079 --> 00:29:22.319 form Yu -Gi -Oh cards, and they invade other 00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:24.519 tissues. It's a disease of malignant growth. 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:27.720 Think of it this way, right? So in lupus, the 00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:30.740 body's army declares a civil war in itself. cancer 00:29:30.740 --> 00:29:33.480 a group of the body's own citizens become rebels 00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:35.559 and that that build their own destructive empire 00:29:35.559 --> 00:29:39.799 to take down what's already there or if that's 00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:42.819 too simple um what's okay well actually i feel 00:29:42.819 --> 00:29:45.779 like that is too simple let me give a more detailed 00:29:45.779 --> 00:29:48.680 look at how the two diseases compare across several 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:51.500 key factors okay first things first like i said 00:29:51.500 --> 00:29:54.619 the core problem is that cancer is malignant 00:29:54.619 --> 00:29:56.900 right It's an uncontrolled growth of the body's 00:29:56.900 --> 00:29:59.200 own cells, versus lupus, which is a hyperactive 00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:01.380 immune system attacking its own body tissues, 00:30:01.559 --> 00:30:07.259 right? So, first off, their origins, right? Lupus, 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:09.319 like I mentioned before, is a complex mix of 00:30:09.319 --> 00:30:11.619 genetic predisposition and environmental triggers 00:30:11.619 --> 00:30:15.140 that can cause immune systems in their body to 00:30:15.140 --> 00:30:18.039 malfunction. Cancer, on the other hand, starts 00:30:18.039 --> 00:30:20.720 with genetic mutations in specific cells or groups 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:23.960 of cells. Then there's their behavior. Like I 00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:27.019 mentioned before, With lupus, the immune system 00:30:27.019 --> 00:30:29.880 causes widespread inflammation, leading to damage 00:30:29.880 --> 00:30:33.099 in joints, skin, kidneys, etc. It's characterized 00:30:33.099 --> 00:30:36.380 by flares or sickness and remission or wellness. 00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:40.059 Tumors, on the other hand, cells form tumors 00:30:40.059 --> 00:30:44.819 for cancer and can invade nearby tissues, metastasizing 00:30:44.819 --> 00:30:47.799 or spreading to distant parts of the body utilizing 00:30:47.799 --> 00:30:51.759 the bloodstream. Okay, so what about the diagnosis 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:55.720 of the two? First off, Cancer is primarily diagnosed 00:30:55.720 --> 00:30:58.900 through CT scans, MRIs, and a biopsy where a 00:30:58.900 --> 00:31:00.819 sample of the suspicious tissue is removed and 00:31:00.819 --> 00:31:04.059 examined. Can't do that with lupus. Why? Because 00:31:04.059 --> 00:31:06.160 it's diagnosed through a combination of patient 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.220 symptoms, physical exams, blood tests, that look 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:12.359 for specific antibodies, like that ANA test I 00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:14.759 mentioned earlier, and as a result of this, there's 00:31:14.759 --> 00:31:17.640 no single definitive test. Cancer is actually 00:31:17.640 --> 00:31:20.500 a lot easier to identify than lupus. But in a 00:31:20.500 --> 00:31:22.519 lot of cases, it's harder to find because of 00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:25.599 where it may or may not be. That being said, 00:31:25.859 --> 00:31:28.500 like I said, the next thing would be the treatment 00:31:28.500 --> 00:31:30.960 goals. Okay, well, what's the treatment goal 00:31:30.960 --> 00:31:33.339 differences between the two? As we mentioned 00:31:33.339 --> 00:31:36.859 earlier, for lupus, to manage symptoms and suppress 00:31:36.859 --> 00:31:39.180 the overactive immune system to prevent organ 00:31:39.180 --> 00:31:41.859 damage and aiming for long -term remission, not 00:31:41.859 --> 00:31:44.539 a cure. At some point, it'll eventually stop, 00:31:44.700 --> 00:31:47.559 hopefully. Again, this also puts the person in 00:31:47.559 --> 00:31:50.849 an auto... an immune deficient state, so they 00:31:50.849 --> 00:31:53.950 have to be very careful depending on what type 00:31:53.950 --> 00:31:58.269 of treatment they're receiving to suppress the 00:31:58.269 --> 00:32:01.109 overactive immune system. On the other hand, 00:32:01.109 --> 00:32:04.569 when it comes to cancer, to treat it, we go to 00:32:04.569 --> 00:32:06.309 destroy and remove all the cancer cells from 00:32:06.309 --> 00:32:09.170 the body. This is aiming for a cure, but it's 00:32:09.170 --> 00:32:12.630 also the same as lupus in this respect, that 00:32:12.630 --> 00:32:15.869 they're aiming for long -term remission. They 00:32:15.869 --> 00:32:18.329 want the cure. But if they can't, they'll try 00:32:18.329 --> 00:32:19.589 to see if they can get it to the point where 00:32:19.589 --> 00:32:22.329 it's not a problem anymore. Can't do that with 00:32:22.329 --> 00:32:27.369 lupus. So, that being said, okay, well, cancer 00:32:27.369 --> 00:32:29.150 has primary treatments, right? You're probably 00:32:29.150 --> 00:32:32.849 asking. Why doesn't lupus? Well, it kind of does, 00:32:33.049 --> 00:32:37.390 but they're not great, okay? For cancer, surgery, 00:32:37.569 --> 00:32:40.970 chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy helps 00:32:40.970 --> 00:32:42.750 the immune system fight the cancer. That's what 00:32:42.750 --> 00:32:44.920 the immunotherapy is for. These are ways you 00:32:44.920 --> 00:32:46.740 can fight cancer, and they're known to work to 00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:48.680 a certain degree. I'm not a fan of radiation 00:32:48.680 --> 00:32:50.819 because it can cause other issues like hair loss 00:32:50.819 --> 00:32:54.519 and such, but the same can be said about lupus. 00:32:55.559 --> 00:33:00.859 Immunosuppressants, corticosteroids to reduce 00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:03.019 inflammation, antimalarials, like I mentioned 00:33:03.019 --> 00:33:05.880 before, you're just hopped up on a bunch of medicine 00:33:05.880 --> 00:33:08.519 hoping that some of these will eventually cause 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:11.480 your immune system to stop attacking itself and 00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:16.359 attacking the rest of your body. But there's 00:33:16.359 --> 00:33:20.220 one main difference between these two. Despite 00:33:20.220 --> 00:33:23.059 everything that I just read and everything that 00:33:23.059 --> 00:33:25.200 I just told you from the research that I've gathered, 00:33:25.339 --> 00:33:28.460 there's only one question here that's left to 00:33:28.460 --> 00:33:38.059 answer. Is it curable? Cancer? Yeah. Many cancers 00:33:38.059 --> 00:33:40.480 can be cured, especially if detected early. Others 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:43.779 can be managed as chronic diseases until the 00:33:43.779 --> 00:33:46.250 point where... You know, either they can't afford 00:33:46.250 --> 00:33:48.890 to take care of themselves anymore, or they either 00:33:48.890 --> 00:33:51.890 grow out of it, or they die. It's unfortunate, 00:33:52.130 --> 00:33:55.049 but this is the circumstance. But for the most 00:33:55.049 --> 00:34:00.289 part, cancer can be cured. Lupus cannot. It's 00:34:00.289 --> 00:34:02.789 a chronic, lifelong condition. There's no known 00:34:02.789 --> 00:34:05.670 cure, and treatment mainly focuses on the disease. 00:34:13.139 --> 00:34:14.820 That's something to keep in mind, a little bit 00:34:14.820 --> 00:34:17.460 of food for thought. I have one more question, 00:34:17.539 --> 00:34:18.719 though, and this is something I have to look 00:34:18.719 --> 00:34:20.420 a little bit deeper for. I don't think any of 00:34:20.420 --> 00:34:22.280 y 'all have ever wanted to ask this question, 00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:24.539 but I'll ask it for you. Maybe you've considered 00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:26.820 it but didn't want to say it. That's fine. I'll 00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:29.099 cover it for you, especially. That way you can 00:34:29.099 --> 00:34:33.199 save face, right? Can one cause the other? While 00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:35.780 there are different diseases, there can be a 00:34:35.780 --> 00:34:38.239 complex relationship between these two, right? 00:34:39.500 --> 00:34:43.400 Lupus and cancer risk. Well, let's see. People 00:34:43.400 --> 00:34:47.900 with lupus, particularly systematic lupus, erythematosis, 00:34:47.960 --> 00:34:51.780 or SLE, has a slightly increased risk of developing 00:34:51.780 --> 00:34:55.639 certain types of cancers, most notably lymphomas, 00:34:55.760 --> 00:34:57.880 which is an attack on the lymph system in your 00:34:57.880 --> 00:35:01.239 body. This is believed to be due to chronic inflammation 00:35:01.239 --> 00:35:03.820 and long -term use of immunosuppressant drugs, 00:35:04.039 --> 00:35:07.420 which are required to manage this disease, as 00:35:07.420 --> 00:35:10.119 I mentioned before. So that is a possible risk. 00:35:10.699 --> 00:35:13.460 However... Cancer treatment in lupus, in that 00:35:13.460 --> 00:35:17.599 order, it's very rare, actually, believe it or 00:35:17.599 --> 00:35:19.420 not. Certain cancer treatments, particularly 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:23.019 newer immunotherapies designed to unleash the 00:35:23.019 --> 00:35:26.119 immune system to fight cancer, can trigger autoimmune 00:35:26.119 --> 00:35:28.820 responses that mimic lupus, but it's not quite 00:35:28.820 --> 00:35:32.000 the same thing. Because in this case, the immune 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:34.920 system is actually being sent out to fight, and 00:35:34.920 --> 00:35:36.519 there's actually a target for it to hit that's 00:35:36.519 --> 00:35:39.699 not the actual normal body's physical cells. 00:35:40.809 --> 00:35:43.409 So then, with this whole thought in mind, what's 00:35:43.409 --> 00:35:46.510 the takeaway here? Though both can be present 00:35:46.510 --> 00:35:49.170 with similar systematic symptoms like fatigue, 00:35:49.269 --> 00:35:52.570 pain, fever, lupus and cancer are not the same 00:35:52.570 --> 00:35:55.170 thing. They have completely different biological 00:35:55.170 --> 00:35:57.750 origins and require vastly different diagnostic 00:35:57.750 --> 00:36:00.489 and treatment approaches. Understanding that 00:36:00.489 --> 00:36:03.489 lupus is a disease of a confused immune system 00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:06.460 and cancer is just a disease of rogue cell growth, 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:08.840 is the key to grasping the fundamental difference 00:36:08.840 --> 00:36:24.460 between these two challenging conditions. All 00:36:24.460 --> 00:36:32.750 right, everybody. With that being said... Let's 00:36:32.750 --> 00:36:36.809 go ahead and wind out now, right? While the challenges 00:36:36.809 --> 00:36:39.869 of lupus are formidable, the narrative is increasingly 00:36:39.869 --> 00:36:43.849 one of resilience and hope. For over 50 years, 00:36:43.889 --> 00:36:46.510 treatment options barely changed, but the 21st 00:36:46.510 --> 00:36:48.969 century has been a turning point, and with new 00:36:48.969 --> 00:36:51.030 targeted therapies offering better outcomes, 00:36:51.630 --> 00:36:57.130 the final thought is this, okay? Lupus is a chronic 00:36:57.130 --> 00:36:59.150 and challenging journey, but... the combination 00:36:59.150 --> 00:37:03.010 of more effective treatments, proactive self 00:37:03.010 --> 00:37:06.369 -care, and a global support community has transformed 00:37:06.369 --> 00:37:09.769 it and what it means to live with the disease. 00:37:10.389 --> 00:37:12.170 Millions of people are successfully managing 00:37:12.170 --> 00:37:14.329 their conditions. They're refusing to be defined 00:37:14.329 --> 00:37:17.250 by it, which is great, and living full, productive, 00:37:17.309 --> 00:37:20.329 and meaningful lives. I want you to take that 00:37:20.329 --> 00:37:24.269 to heart and give it some thought. This is the 00:37:24.269 --> 00:37:26.150 reality of what it is. This is what these people 00:37:26.150 --> 00:37:30.860 deal with on the daily. Well, that's all I have 00:37:30.860 --> 00:37:32.699 for you guys today. Thanks for tuning in for 00:37:32.699 --> 00:37:35.139 Food for Thought, Thoughts If It Were You. I'm 00:37:35.139 --> 00:37:38.440 your host, Neogentrix. This is Season 3. I look 00:37:38.440 --> 00:37:40.300 forward to the next time, guys, where we'll be 00:37:40.300 --> 00:37:43.559 talking about some interesting topics, kicking 00:37:43.559 --> 00:37:46.159 back into the whole essential skills bracket. 00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:49.199 And I hope you'll have a great rest of your day. 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:51.679 If you have a comment that you want to leave 00:37:51.679 --> 00:37:53.659 on what I've discussed, you see I missed some 00:37:53.659 --> 00:37:55.519 information or you think it's wrong, or you have 00:37:55.519 --> 00:37:58.429 a suggestion for another episode, or topic idea, 00:37:58.550 --> 00:38:00.469 feel free to leave a comment down below if you're 00:38:00.469 --> 00:38:02.769 watching this on YouTube or Spotify or Apple 00:38:02.769 --> 00:38:06.530 Podcasts, or check us out on some of our other 00:38:06.530 --> 00:38:08.309 platforms if you're on the go more and you want 00:38:08.309 --> 00:38:11.030 to listen to future episodes or go back and listen 00:38:11.030 --> 00:38:13.489 to some old ones. And I hope you all have a great 00:38:13.489 --> 00:38:14.170 rest of your day.