Lupus Brighton and Hove support group had another very successful coffee and chat today, with nine members attending. In the meeting, one of our members suggested that we get a Rheumatology consultant to come and speak to our group about Lupus and any recent medical developments that may be of interest to us. We also discussed getting a complementary therapist to come and visit us too. We’ll contact them to find out if both these things might be possible.  We will also be holding an additional formal meeting at 10.15am on Friday 19th April 2013, before April’s coffee and chat.

World lupus day is going to be on the 10th May this year. Lupus Brighton and Hove support group will be thinking of ways to raise awareness about lupus for it. Please bring along any ideas or suggestions that you may have to the next coffee and chat on Friday 19th April 2013 or send them to us through this link- contact us.

To see what other lupus groups are doing all over the world on 10th May 2013 and to find out more about it, take a look at the World Lupus Day organisation’s website. There you can pledge to join thousands of other people in bringing more awareness to lupus, as well as download fliers, e-cards, posters etc. to distribute.

A large part of living with lupus is learning how to manage the condition. As well as traditional medications, many people in our support group have also found that complementary therapies (such as those based on diet or exercises like yoga ) can also be of great benefit. A few of us have found that mindful meditation is particularly helpful when it comes to reducing stress and even managing pain.

There are several Buddhist Centres in Brighton and Hove where you can attend guided meditation sessions for a small fee or a voluntary donation. This BBC clip shows how meditation may even alter the way in which the brain processes pain.