We've had a few threads started for what holiday April 1st is. I went looking for another fun title like National Penny Awareness Day, Edible Book Day as well as National Reading is Funny Day, National Sourdough Bread Day, National Baked Ham with Pineapple Day, etc. Those all fall on April 1st.

It's also Lupus Alert Day.

My third ex, the one with the warrants and is currently hiding out in Florida has Lupus. Even though I *cough* don;t think highly about her any more, still sucks that she has Lupus.

Or Linus from Peanuts which is what I keep trying to spell it as but his birthday is in October. :)

There's an awareness day but that's on May 10th.

Just wanted to mention it.

http://www.eworldwire.com/pressreleases/11603

A few years ago, I've lost a female friend to lupus, she was only something like 30 at that time...

So, yeah, whatever can raise awareness about lupus is welcome.

I always had difficulty understanding the purpose of some of the awareness campaigns. Certain ones make sense, of course, generally those that deal with preventable problems. For example, I heard that Australia had a very successful Skin Cancer Awareness campaign. That's because in addition to telling people about the existence of Skin Cancer, the campaign also provided directions on how to avoid it. (Spoiler: It's sunscreen.)

With something like Lupus, which is an autoimmune disease that's not caused by any external factors, the point is moot. Suppose I didn't know of its existence and the campaign did inform me of it. What now, though? What can I do to prevent it? What can I do differently at all? The sufferers have my sympathy, but that doesn't do them any good.

It seems to me, that informing the general population, while noble is ultimately futile. It is the doctors who need to be aware, so that they can diagnose it earlier and more accurately. Aside from that, there doesn't seem to be anything that any of us can meaningfully contribute.

Well, the patient can always ask the doctor about a lupus possibility, if they find the symptoms fit and if they couldn't find any cause to the bad health so far.

If the doctor laughs in your face, in a "who's the doctor here, idiot?" fashion, it can also be a good giveaway to change your doctor.

So, no, I fail to see how it is "futile".

Never said it was.

I'm a cancer survivor. I think they are fucking hilarious. XD

I NEVER would have beaten it had I not been able to wake up every morning and laugh my ass off about it.

Unless, of course, the patient and WebMD are wrong and the doctor is right. But yeah, if that was a literal response then it would be considered some, uh, interesting bedside manner.

Doctor gave me six months to live.
I told him I couldn't pay the bill.
He gave me another six months.

Wasn't Stephen Hawking told he only had 2 years to live? (He survived another 55 years after that diagnosis.)

Well now I even more pissed. GoG closed the ticket without resolution.

Again.

You seem to be lucky enough not to have ever encountered this kind of doctor. The kind of doctor that after 2 minutes already decided what you have, no matter what information you can bring him.

I understand that nobody likes to get told by a profane about his/her job. And that looking online about our own diseases can generally only bring more anguish and sufferin to ourselves. But everybody make mistakes, because we are human. So, sometimes considering what you refused to consider before is necessary.

I'm aware that the immense majority of doctors out there are good doctors that really care about their patients. But you occasionnally find the proverbial black sheep...

My first doctor when I moved to the UP told me because of my having had cancer, I needed a full Cat Scan every six months. EVERY SIX MONTHS! That would almost certainly kill me.

I later found out expensive testing is how the hospital stayed open. Needless to say I immediately changed hospitals and doctors.

i know you got bad internet, but do you have Netflix, there is a standup act you might like there - Ricky Gervais: Humanity
https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/80189653

I don't have Netflix but I'll watch it somehow, HUGE Gervais fan. I even liked his work on GTA 4, and yes, he was in that, playing himself.

Alright, it appears I offended some folks. Someone care to clue me in?

Or are folks annoyed that I made light of my own handicaps with my frequent misspelling problems?

edit: Typos fixes.