I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus back in May of this year. And although I'm newly diagnosed, I have lived with someone who has had it for a long time, my Mom.

Systemic Lupus is an Auto Immune Disorder.

Other disorders that are considered Auto Immune are Rheumatoid Arthritis, Scleroderma, Sjogren's Syndrome, Goodpasture's Syndrome, Wegner's Granulomatosis, Temporal Arteritis. Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Graves' Disease, Celiac Disease, Addison's Disease, and Multiple Sclerosis.</span>

I was also informed that HIV/AIDS are also Auto Immune Diseases, so maybe a protected forum so they are more comfortable talking about it?

I think it would be great to have a board to share stories, treatments, and similar lifestyle changes we have had to encounter.

<span style="font-family:Georgia">This is my first pregnancy since my diagnosis, and I would really like to have others to talk to about it.

Anyone else think it would work??

[BensMom]

Great idea! We've had a few of those diseases suggested individually, but I'd like to see a board for any AI disorder. I've been tested for RA a couple of times. It runs in my moms side of the family, and I started showing signs a few years ago. No definite diagnosis yet, but like any AI disorder, it's hard to diagnose something that mirrors so many other things. I'd like to talk to others with RA about real life symptoms (not "book" symptoms), diagnosis, tests, and treatments.

[TheOtherMichelle]

I have had problems with grave's disease for years, and I also have several family members with RA. I think it's a great idea.

[BensMom]

I might be mistaken, but isn't HIV also considered an AI disease? I know it's usually considered an STD by the general public because of all the stuff you hear on the media, but there are many ways you can get it, and it's got many of the characteristics of AI diseases.

I have no idea if we have any HIV mommies here, but it might be nice to either include it with this topic, or at least make a protected subforum for it so that moms will feel more like opening up. I'd hate to ever have to deal with it... especially if I had children envolved. It would be nice for others to be able to talk to each other about latest treatments, pg complications, etc.

I'm going to add those to my OP!

[x.xJOANNEx.x]

I think it would be a great idea! I have Coeliac Disease! I really think we could do with this board.

[Linz]

Although I don't have an autoimmune disorder, I think this is a good idea.

[~Trina~]

I swear I posted in this thread once already.... oh well!! I'm crazy...we all KNOW that!

For several months they thought I had systemic lupus but in reality later figured out that it is most likely Rheumatoid Arthritis....they tell me that it could STILL be lupus ... but that it can take years to figure that out

I've seen a lot of moms post on JM that say they have RA .... so this might be a great board idea!

[x.xJOANNEx.x]

Are we going to get this board?

[Colee]

I think this would be great! I just posted about fine tuning the disability forum...I have two auto immune illnesses. Ulcerative Colitis and Multiple Sclerosis. Although my playroom is full of great woman with huge hearts...it would really help me to talk to other Mommies going through the same difficulties in having auto immune disease.

[Banned-Mommieof3]

I believe that eczema is also a type of autoimmune disease, and I have dishidrotic eczema, so it would be nice to have a place to go to....

I think it is a great idea!

[~Trina~]

Can we give it a try? *shrug*

[Colee]

There are soooo many auto-immune diseases....I believe this board would help ALOT!

[Colee]

Just thought I would add what auto-immune disease is all about...

What is the immune system?
The immune system is the body's means of protection against germs and other "foreign" substances. The immune system is composed of two major parts. One component is the production of antibodies, proteins that attack "foreign" substances and cause them to be removed from the body; this is sometimes called the humoral immune system. The other component is composed of special blood cells, called T lymphocytes, that can attack "foreign" substances directly; this is sometimes called the cellular immune system. At birth, the only protection we have are antibodies that come to the baby from its mother before birth; antibodies and T lymphocytes become protective only after they are exposed to a "foreign" substance for the first time. This is the reason that we use vaccinations: to allow our immune system to recognize weakened or inactivated forms of bacteria and viruses that can cause disease, so that we will be protected if we actually come in contact with them.

Normally, the immune system recognizes that the tissues in the body are not "foreign" and does not attack them. If a transplant is performed, however, the immune system usually recognizes that the organs that are transplanted are different and attacks them, a process called rejection. Drugs that reduce the activity of the immune system (immunosuppressants) are typically given to persons who have received transplants, unless the donor is an identical twin. Cancer cells are sometimes different enough from normal cells that the immune system attacks them, but the immune response alone is usually not enough to keep a cancer from spreading.

What are autoimmune disorders?
Autoimmune disorders are diseases caused by the body producing an immune response against its own tissues. The cause of autoimmune diseases is unknown, but it appears that there is an inherited predisposition to develop autoimmune disease in many cases. In a few types of autoimmune disease (such as rheumatic fever), a bacteria or virus triggers an immune response, and the antibodies or T-cells attack normal cells because they have some part of their structure that resembles a part of the structure of the infecting germ

So,for myself...I have Ulcerative Colitis and Multiple Sclerosis. My own immune system attacks my colon(with my UC) and my nervous system(with my MS...mylen around nerves)...so many people are living with these illnesses and a great support system would be awesome!

You can also go to this http://www.aarda.org/patient_information.php webpage...hit the down arrow in the select box and a list will come up of all the auto-immune diseases will come up...check it out

[frgsonmysox]

It hink this would be an awesome board! My mom has Lupus and RA, and I've been told that I may have RA as well. I"m sure I do as I have flare ups every so often but it is hard to get a concrete diagnosis. It would be great to talk to other women with the same issues!

[Colee]

Is this a board we can *hope* to get????

[Banned-Mommieof3]

Pretty please!

[Colee]

I REALLY think this would be a useful board

[~Trina~]

I'm having an realllly bad RA flare up right now.....it totally sucks! I thought they were bad when I wasn't pregnant but man oh man do they get worse to deal with when you are nearly 8 1/2 months pregnant!