Exciting Day!

It is a very exciting day for Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus! Yesterday the Oregon state senate passed bill 348 which adopts May as Oregon Lupus Awareness month and May 10, 2011 as Oregon Lupus Day. A couple weeks ago, my mom, Nicole Lawry and I went down to Salem and testified with Senator Diane Rosenbaum for the Senate Health care, Human Services, and Rural Health Policy committee. We talked about what Molly's Fund is doing, the scary statistics of this crazy disease we all have and a couple personal stories which really touched my heart.

I have to tell you that as hard as it was on my body to spend a day traveling and the stress of testifying, it was also a really thrilling moment for me. People were listening when we spoke and acknowledged that this disease is under addressed and needs attention. How often can you go home at the end of the day and say that you made a real difference today? That you helped get an important piece of legislation passed? Not very often for me, I'll tell you that!

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything, but it's been a really good couple of months and I think I may have thought I would jinx it if I talked about it. It's actually kind of hard to be around all my friends with lupus and be the only one who isn't struggling right now. It was easier when I was sick because they could relate to my situation and we could all feel comforted by the fact that we were in the same boat. I still want my friends to be able to turn to me, because even if I'm not sick right now, I certainly spent the last five years in and out of the hospital and can understand what they are going through.

For those of you who are in the Portland area, we have a support group meeting every second Saturday of the month at the First Congregational United Church of Christ at 1126 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205. We meet at 11:00 to talk about what it's like living with lupus and it's really great having other people to chat with that are in the same situation as you are. Hopefully I'll see some of you next month!!

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."
~Irish Proverb