The Nurturing Well: By Jill Starbuck
On a daily basis, we cross many paths with strangers, friends, and family members. For instance, we may notice a woman walk briskly towards the back of the store to pick up a gallon of milk. We observe an elderly man at the coffee shop ordering coffee to kick start his day. We pass a child riding his bike to the park. We hear the sound of laughter coming from a lady enjoying dinner with her friends. These are just a few of the observations we may make on an average day. Everything seems to be uneventful and normal. However, there is nothing ordinary about the people. While they may seem to be fine, each of them deals with big issues not observable to the eye.
For instance, the woman walking briskly through the store suffers from ulcerative colitis. Later that day, she will endure extreme abdominal pain. When you look more closely, the man at the coffee shop has trouble grasping his drink order due to rheumatoid arthritis. The child on the bike has to monitor his insulin levels frequently because of Type 1 diabetes. The lady laughing at dinner faces infertility due to endometriosis. What these people all have in common is they all suffer from autoimmune or autoimmune-related diseases. While they look and act normal, they deal with complicated and chronic health issues.
More than 100 autoimmune diseases exist. In fact, it is likely that you know someone who suffers from one, since 50 million (one in five) people suffer from sort of autoimmune disease. A simple description of autoimmune diseases is that a person’s immune system goes into overdrive and attacks healthy body tissue. Sufferers have to deal with these diseases for the rest of their lives as there is no cure for any autoimmune disease. Nor is there an explanation as to why or how people end up with autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune diseases can be some of the most frustrating health issues sufferers face. Not only are there no explanations, there are no cures either. Oftentimes, there is no rhyme or reason for breakouts. Most often, symptoms vary from person to person. Therefore, what works for one person to ease symptoms may not work for another person. While people with autoimmune diseases appear to be fine, many actually deal with unimaginable pain, fatigue, weakness, and other symptoms frequently.
To learn more about autoimmune diseases and how you can help, check out the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc. at www.aarda.org.
