Chinese Medicine Talk

Chinese talkWe had a very interesting discussion on last night, when Peter Stanton joined us to explain how Chinese medicine practitioners would approach illnesses like lupus. He explained that lupus fell into a group of illnesses that were affected by the Dai Mai meridian, which is a horizontal flowing energy meridian around the belt area.

He explained that there were four key areas to consider:

  • Hydration- he recommended drinking water as a habit with a pinch of sea salt to replace minerals
  • Oxygenation- getting oxygen into our cells by walking, swimming or anything that improves breathing
  • Free flowing energy-the importance of keeping emotional stuff flowing, this could be done through meditation, gardening, drawing, painting, walking
  • Adrenal glands- which they believe have two parts, one that is replenished through the lungs and the rest of the body , one that is not replenished which lies in the kidneys.

It was a very enjoyable evening, with lots of good debate, so thank you to everyone who came along, to Mel for organising it and to Peter Stanton for explaining it all so clearly to us.

September’s Coffee and Chat

P1000757newWe had another very constructive meet up today, with ten people coming along to our coffee and chat, we were also very pleased to welcome another new member to our group. We have now agreed the dates for next year’s coffee and chats, so we’ll have the 2014 small cards ready to distribute to the group at our next meeting in October. Thanks again to everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable morning, it was great to see you all there.

 

Brain Fog

Some of us with lupus are familiar with the loosely termed “brain fog” that can be associated with having lupus. This  is a neurological element of the illness that can affect how we process, remember and focus on information.

lupus fogThe good news is that in lupus “brain fog”  isn’t a permanent or deteriorating condition and as with many other symptoms of lupus, it can come and go. However, whilst we may joke about having “loopy” moments, it can sometimes be very frustrating; affecting our confidence, how we interact with others and how well we are able to function in our daily lives. The symptoms of  “Brain fog” can vary from person to person, but common problems it can cause are:

  •  forgetfulness
  • lack of concentration
  • lack of coordination
  • difficulty processing information

Brain fog can also be caused by other conditions and some of the medications we may take, so if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms then it ‘s important to discuss it with your GP.

This is a list of useful tips that were drawn up by an American Lupus group from Portland, Oregon, called Molly’s Fund . They have kindly let us share this information with our group (our thanks go to Karrie Sundbom who put them together and wrote this article on “Brain Fog” ).

If you’d like to learn more about how lupus can affect the brain, then you may be interested to know that Professor Davies will be coming to talk to the group about this subject later this year- 11.00am on 6th December 2013- venue TBC.

 

Incandescent Lightbulbs and Lupus

lightbulbAs summer draws to an end, exposure to UV rays from the sun becomes less of a concern for us. However, we’ll  find ourselves using electric light more and more, as the nights start to draw in.

As with UV rays from the sun, some people with SLE are also sensitive electric light. Since the the EU directive banning the 40W incandescent bulb, came into force on September 1st 2012 (60W and 100W were already banned) this problem was exacerbated for those of us with lupus. This is because the energy saving halogen lightbulbs that replaced them emit significant levels of UV light, compared to the old incadescent bulbs which only emitted very low levels.

You will probably have already found, that if you try to buy incandescent bulbs from supermarkets or large retailers now, that they are no longer available. So if you are UV sensitive, it’s worth being aware that you can still buy incandescent bulbs from most small independent hardware shops, Maplins and online. This is because the ban does not include lightbulbs being sold for “rough service”. These incandescent bulbs are made with toughened glass, fit standard bayonet and screw fittings and are more or less the same price as the old incandescent bulbs. Whilst they obviously don’t have the long life, energy saving characteristics of halogen bulbs they may be worth considering for rooms such as your living room, where you are more likely to receive many hours of electric light exposure during the winter evenings.

If you’re interested in reading more about the science behind the different kinds of light waves that can cause problems in patients who are photosensitive, this article by Dr. Kays Kaidbey gives an in depth explanation of of how exposure to different types of lightbulbs can affect people with lupus.

Summer Picnic

Reiki

Reiki

We had a lovely day at Stamner Park on Sunday. The summer picnic event went

Serena, Pauline and Roz

Serena, Pauline and Roz

really well and we all had a great time, despite the weather being a bit changeable.

There were some wonderful holistic treatments on offer from our two therapists. Between us we were able to try Reiki, Indian head massages, as well as hand and foot reflexology. Many of us were able to experience these therapies for the first time and found them to be both beneficial and enjoyable.

The picnic began with a couple of hours of  bright sunshine, with us wearing T-shirts, sun hats and shades, then we had a couple of showers towards the end of the day and we were all glad of the gazebos and hot drinks!

A very big thank you to Helen and Tanis for helping to make the day such a success and for giving us all such wonderfully relaxing treatments.

You can see more photos taken by www.serenasussex.com of our summer picnic on our gallery page.

Facebook