Wednesday, September 20, 2006

A PSA for my readers

The link in the title and pasted below is to a site that hopefully will promote some awareness and knowledge of a debilitating illness that has affected both my little brother and my nephew. It is one of those rare diseases that does not get the media spotlight, no runs are organized for it and no celebrities are known to be afflicted with it so you won't see any charity balls or races organized for it.

IgA Nephropathy really has no warning signs, seems to strike at random and does things to the person that people do not see until the person is hobbled over in pain or lying on the ground. It is scary, it is painful and it hits at will. There is currently no know full cure for it either, just treatment. It leaves the person weak, it puts them in the hospital and yes, in the extreme cases, it can kill the subject.

There are so many different ailments we have to watch out for these days. Unfortunately, some are easier to spot, diagnose and treat than others. Education is our only hope of at least trying to catch things early before any real damage is done. Take it from a person with a doctor phobia, it is better to know and to ask and to be wrong. Don't stay silent and worried and right. It could cost you your, or someone you love's, life.

Ciao.

http://www.igan.ca/id45.htm

1 comment:

Penny said...

This is the quiet disease that's in my family. Nearly killed my Mom when I was a child.

http://www.hematologic.niddk.nih.gov/pubs/itp/itp.htm

So I understand, my friend, I totally understand.