Hello, and welcome to all the Newbies...

[Guest guest]

Hi, everybody, and welcome to all the new members who have come on board while I was away being

medically incarcerated.

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to welcome each of you individually, but we have been so fortunate as

to get so many new members, I could never hope to greet each of you and still have time to do other

things. LOL So this will have to do, I guess.

I believe you will find this group to be intelligent, funny, caring, sharing, and always willing to answer

questions, find the answers, refer you to where you can get answers. Some Lupus questions, as you

are already learning, don't have answers as yet, but research is being done every day, and we can

all help by keeping our caregivers informed, and insisting on the best treatment available. Never

assume a doctor knows more than you do about YOUR body. He/she might have a degree in medicine/rheumatology, but only you have a degree in YOU. Always remember that it is YOUR life

at stake here, not the doctor's reputation or income.

Secondly, writing to the group and sharing the frustration, triumphs, pain, laughs, etc. really helps

us to cope with the roller coaster ride that Lupus is for most of us. Since, even the Owners and

Moderators are Lupus sufferers, and are volunteers, it may take a little time to get a response to

a particular post, but we truly try to be prompt and to the point. All members are welcome to make

comments to other members, to reply to posts, and offer support. That is why we are here. Please

join in any conversation going on on the board. We welcome you all.

To introduce myself, I am the 55 year old adoptive mother of four, grandmother of two, and I live

in no. California, about 50 miles out of San Francisco, in the heart of Sonoma Wine Country. I was

dx'd with SLE, RA, Sjogren's, Anemia, Myofibrositis, chronic Lyme Disease, type II Diabetes, and just

in the last few weeks, with a major Lupus related stomach ulcer, and Congestive Heart Failure. No

wonder my doctors call me a "bundle of question marks". I retired, due to my conditions, at the

grand old age of 47. I have two boys still at home, ages 12 and 16. A real challenge, but they are

very helpful, and concerned about me, especially since I was in hospital for a week and just got home

this past Monday.

So, everyone, I hope you will find what you need here, find a way to offer YOUR support, too, and

find some peace of mind in knowing you are not alone. Again, welcome, and hugs, MM aka: Mike, one of the moderators