Since May is National Lupus Month,

Today, I am honored to host author Marilyn Celeste Morris on her blog tour promoting her book, "Diagnosis: Lupus: The Personal Journal of a Lupus Patient'"

Marilyn is a multi published author whose books, "Sabbath's Room" and "Once A Brat" are quickly climbing the best seller lists.

"Diagnosis: Lupus: The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient" is Marilyn's account of her personal battle with Lupus.

Marilyn, welcome to Reading Rucker.

Marilyn: Thanks for inviting me.

1.. Marilyn, I know very little about Lupus. I wonder if you could explain the disease and it’s symptoms for our readers.

Marilyn: There are two types of lupus: discoid and systemic. The discoid lupus kind affects the skin, causing dark splotches along the hairline and over the face and body. A familiar sign of both types of lupus is a “butterfly” pattern across the bridge of the nose and under the eyes. A person with lupus does not necessarily have to have the butterfly rash. In the systemic kind, it’s an autoimmune disease where the immune system is overactive. The immune system sees vital organs of the body as invaders, and attacks them as if they were foreign bodies. Lupus has nothing to do with AIDS, I must point out. I like the ‘short’, understandable description of what lupus is: Think of the body as a fort, like in the Wild West Days. Every now and then, Indians would attack the fort, and the soldiers inside the fort (white blood cells) would repel the Indians (the infection). Then the fort (body) would settle down and go back to its usual routine, until the next Indian attack.
Only with lupus, there are no Indians. The soldiers inside the fort are ever ready for an attack, but the Indians don’t arrive, so the soldiers (stressed) turn on each other, fighting among themselves, eventually destroying the fort itself: lungs, kidneys, central nervous system, etc.
According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus is more common than Leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Cystic Fibrosis and Multiple Sclerosis. And yet, the average person rarely knows about lupus and is generally misinformed, vaguely believing it to be “kind of like arthritis, isn’t it?” While my symptoms first presented themselves as “kind of like arthritis,” and I was thus diagnosed and treated for two years for RA, other symptoms soon presented themselves, until, after three emotionally charged and pain-filled years from the onset of symptoms, laboratory tests confirmed the presence of SLE, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
There is no known cause for any person contracting lupus. However, research has found that women of childbearing years are most susceptible, as are African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans. Men can have lupus, but it is not as prevalent in males.
A family can have the tendency to develop lupus, as in a family with diabetes; certain family members would be more susceptible.
There is no definitive lab test, but if you show a positive ANA

(Anti-Nuclear Antibody factor, you most likely have lupus.
A rheumatologist should treat lupus patients.
Usually, lupus patients will be treated with steroids. Plaquenil, an anti-malarial, which was found by accident to prevent flares.
Persons with lupus should stay out of the sun, wear Sunscreen, avoid stress, and take your medicines as prescribed.

Symptoms of lupus include these fourteen factors:

Fatigue, overwhelming fatigue not caused by activity.

Do you have/ever had/been told you have:

Achy, painful and/or swollen joints for more than three months;

Fingers and/or toes becoming pale, numb or uncomfortable in the cold;

Sores in the mouth for more than two weeks;

Been told you have a low blood count, anemia, low white cell count or a low platelet count;

Ever had a prominent redness or color change in the shape of a butterfly across the bridge of your nose and cheeks;

An unexplained fever over 100 degrees for more than a few days;

A sensitivity to the sun where the skin breaks out after being in the sun (not a sunburn);

Had chest pain with breathing for more than a few days (pleurisy);

Been told you had protein in your urine;

Experienced persistent, extreme fatigue and weakness for days or weeks at a time even after 6-8 hours of restful nighttime sleep.

If you have 3 or more symptoms, you should see your doctor. As of today, there is no cure, but it is treatable.

2. How old were you when you were diagnosed with Lupus, and what kind of reaction did you have when the doctor told you that you had it?

Marilyn: I was 50 years old when I was finally diagnosed with lupus. Lupus generally strikes young women in their childbearing years, and since I was not typical, most doctors assumed it was rheumatoid arthritis. Until one doctor finally "connected the dots" and confirmed I did have lupus. My reaction was, "Thank God. We know what it is. Now we can treat it." He has told me that is a typical reaction, as we are exhausted from going from doctor to doctor with no relief for the unrelenting pain and fatigue.

3. Did your family and friends treat you any differently when you were diagnosed, or did they know about Lupus?

Marilyn: My children kind of panicked, but when I told them my prognosis was good, they began to relax a little and learned that lupus is a disease process, and I would most likely not die suddenly from lupus. Other systems may break down due to lupus, but so far, so good.

My parents alternately hovered and tried to avoid talking about it. They felt helpless, as a lot of relatives do. My friends were a huge support, since I live alone and they voiced their concerns and check on me often. A support system is essential for living with lupus. Family, friends, church – learn to lean on them for a change. I know, I know, we have always been the ones to comfort, rather than be comforted. To give, rather than receive, care, compassion and chicken soup to those in need. This is your turn.

4. I understand that people with Lupus can’t consume alcohol or seafood because of the adverse effects of the disease. Is this true?

Marilyn: I have not heard of that, but I do know a good diet is essential to my health, even without having lupus. I've never been one to drink, except maybe wine with a great dinner, but I have never been advised not to drink alcohol or avoid seafood.

5. Finally, were your experiences with Lupus what prompted you to write your book, Diagnosis: Lupus

Marilyn: I kept a daily journal recording my frustrations, anger and progress over the years, both before and after the diagnosis. I decided to take portions of this journal and put it in a book form so others wouldn’t feel so alone in their disease. I wanted to tell others that they weren’t the only persons whose families and society in general didn’t understand what was going on with them, physically and psychologically. I wrote this book to encourage anyone with a chronic illness to seek the best possible treatment, to be assertive with your doctors, and to spread awareness of lupus in general.

Linda:

Where and when can we get a copy of your book?

ISBN: 1-4137-6789-3: Diagnosis: Lupus – The Intimate Journal of a Lupus Patient
The publisher is PublishAmerica http://www.publishamerica.com/Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble – most bookstores have websites, or you can have your favorite bookstore order it for you.

For more information about lupus and support groups: Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. - http://www.lupus.org/

Thanks, Linda, for helping spread awareness of this baffling disease.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to drop by. I hope our readers have gained some insight into this disease. I wish you continued success with your books and with controlling your Lupus.
If any of you have any questions you'd like to ask Marilyn, please leave a comment and she'll get back to you as soon as possible.
Again, Marliyn, thanks for coming.

Lupus Foundation, lupus, Marilyn Celeste Morris, living with lupus, ReadingRucker

Lupus FoundationMarilyn Celeste Morriss Reading Rucker

Good morning all, and welcome to a very special issue of Reading Rucker. Today I am so very pleased to host author Marilyn Celeste Morris.
Marilyn is the author of the best selling book, "Once a Brat" her memoirs of life growing up as an army brat. Marilyn's memoirs span the war years from 1938 to the Korean conflict, and is a fascinating read.
Marilyn is among the very few members of one of the last "We" generations and her stories of life as a military dependent are funny, heartwarming and all too oftn, frightening, but always entertaining.

So Marilyn, welcome to Reading Rucker. Tell me, when you were growing up an Army brat, was your father one of those strict disciplinarians that we hear so much about?

Terrific question, Linda! Never been asked that before. Yes, my father expected and got strict adherence to his dictates. Sit at the family dinner table, ask to be excused, don’t put more on your plate than you can eat, etc. I was halfway afraid of my father; don’t get me wrong, because he never physically punished me (except once, when I sassed my mother in front of him – ooops! I’ll never do that again.) but because we dependents were indoctrinated that if we did something wrong, it would reflect on our father’s rank. My mother once received a speeding ticket in downtown Seoul, Korea, and I thought she would never hear the end of it. So if I misbehaved, word would get back to my father’s commander, then my father, and I would certainly be disciplined for it. But I never was.
I can imagine. My own father was a former soldier and although he wasn't a lifer, he carried a lot of the Army's discipline with him into his civilian life. We missed out a on all the travel. As a part of the life of an Army brat, what was your favorite duty station?

Austria was my favorite. I had visions of living in a castle, waited upon by butlers and maids, and you know what? I wasn’t far from that dream. Our first quarters (house) was a big two-story house on a hillside overlooking the Danube River in Linz, Austria. There was a genuine honest to-goodness Spanish Guard Tower nearby, where I could climb up into the turret and look out over the land for my Prince Charming. A close second favorite duty station was Fort Sill, OK. (I can hear everybody gasping in disbelief!) But my dad was stationed there twice; once when I was in the third grade and again when I began high school. I was fortunate enough to graduate from the same high school I began with and remain friends with my classmates to this day.


How lucky for you. You got to see places and experience things most of us never will. I was somewhat surprised to learn that the upsurge of patriotism after 9-11 was surprising to you. I know that as a military brat, patriotism was never far from your mind. So, how did you react when the U.S. was attacked on 9-11? Were you angry?

I was working in the legal department of a hospital corporation where I had once been a full-time employee, so I knew all the people in that department. It was the last day of my assignment that day, and when I arrived at my office, I heard the news that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. I mentioned it to the security guards as I signed in to the secured building. After I got off the elevator and to my desk, I heard someone down the hall saying a second plane had crashed into the towers. We dragged the television out of the conference room and turned it on to verify what we were hearing was true. By the time we got news that the Pentagon had been hit, I confirmed the feeling I had had all along and said once "We are at war, folks.” I based my assumption on the fact that on June 25, 1950, when North Korea invaded South Korea, my father said, “I knew it. I knew that would happen.” Our concern right then was that we were in Paris, on leave, away from my dad’s unit, and we were scared to death that war might break out simultaneously in Europe. Fortunately, that did not happen, but after checking in with his unit, Dad suggested we return to base as soon as possible. Thoughts of war were never far from my mind, as the Russians were our enemies during that time, and their zone of occupation was right across the Danube River, practically in our back yard. Every so often, we would have practice evacuation drills so we would be prepared if war ever came. But I knew I would be safe.
Was I angry about the attacks on 9-11? Definitely. How dare any foreign country attack us so cruelly? When I returned to the States after an overseas assignment, I appreciated our country even more. Until you have lived in a foreign land, you don’t know how great this country really is.

That sentiment is something I hear a lot from the veteran's of WWll, and Korea, and surprisingly, from a great many Viet Nam vets. For them, there was never a doubt about whether they were doing the right thing, it was more a question of their responsibility to their homes and families. Does it surprise you when you hear today’s young men flatly refusing to join the military? Is their lack of patriotism a surprise for you?

I am always disappointed to hear the protests and the negativity that surrounds supporting our troops. But again, I have to realize this army is not my father’s army, nor this war my father’s war. The lines have blurred over who is the enemy, why are we there, and I am saddened over that. For those bleeding hearts who believe we are killing women and children along with the enemy, I say, “Can you spell collateral damage?” It has always been this way, a sad fact of war throughout history.

I completely agree with you. I wonder which of those bleeding hearts would scream the loudest for blood if it was their son or daughter who was killed on 9-11. War is not a pretty thing; it never has been and it never will be. More often than not those soldiers are scared stiff, and why wouldn't they be. I know I would be if bullets were whizzing passed my head. Looking back, what would you say was the most frightening moment of your life as the child of an Army officer?

There were several instances of extreme apprehension when I lived overseas. In Austria, our school was evacuated because of a Communist demonstration and we were put on buses to be sent to our quarters. Along the way, I hear what sounded like rocks hitting the sides of the bus. I learned later they may have been bullets. This has been discounted as some kids’ overactive imaginations, but I’m not so sure. But the most frightening thing was finding out North Korea had invaded South Korea and we were in Europe, wondering if war would break out at any moment there.

Marilyn, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by Reading Rucker. I wish all the best with "Once a Brat".
Readers, you can get your copy of Marilyn Celeste Morris's "Once a Brat" online at Amazon.com, bn.com and at book retailers nationwide.
Marilyn, again, thanks so much for stopping by.

I am very excited and honored that I will be interviewing author, Marilyn Celeste Morris here on readingrucker.
Marilyn has written a wonderful and heartwarming book about her life as an Army Brat from 1938 to 1958, and details life as a military dependent from the start of WWll to the start of the Cold War.

Keep checking back for the date of my interview and while you're at it, check out Marilyn's blog at: http://www.onceabrat.blogspot.com/