From what I understand Lupus can be a terrible disease.  My Aunt has been diagnosed  with Lupus and I have tried to do some research so that I can understand what she is dealing with and what she experiences on a daily basis.  I didn’t have much luck finding information so it was still a disease that I didn’t understand.  When I was asked to review Lupus: Real Life, Real Patients, Real Talk I jumped at the opportunity.  I knew this was my chance to really understand what Lupus was and what it can do to a person’s body.

Lupus: Real Life, Real Patients, Real Talk is written by Marissa Zeppieri-Caruana.  Marissa serves as a board member for the Lupus Foundation of America, Southeast Florida Chapter.  She is also living with Lupus just as many other people are.  Marissa was diagnosed with Lupus at the age of 23 after a near death accident that involved her being run over by a speeding pick-up driven by a drunk driver.  Throughout the years she has created a website; LupusSurvivalGuide.com, in order to share information with people from around the world.  In order to help those dealing with Lupus, Marissa decided to write a book with the stories of the people that have shared their very personal stories with her.  Marissa’s goal is to spread awareness to others about Lupus and help those dealing with Lupus know that they aren’t alone.

The stories in the book are very heartfelt and inspiring.  I personally have no experience with Lupus, but I have listened to my Aunt talk about problems that she deals with.  I have felt bad for her in the past because I knew that the only thing I could do was listen.  I couldn’t offer any advice, except to talk to her doctors.  Since reading Lupus: Real Life, Real Patients, Real Talk I now know that stress is definitely not good for those diagnosed with Lupus.  Stress isn’t good for anyone, but it is more harmful to those with Lupus.  Lupus can cause all types of problems within the body if you aren’t taking the right medications and if you aren’t living a healthy a life.  I still don’t feel like I can offer my Aunt any advice, but I do believe that this book would be something that she could read and learn from.  Not everyone’s story is the same, which I think is a good thing because that allows the book to give out several different perspectives and ideas to patients and families dealing with Lupus.

Reading Lupus: Real Life, Real Patients, Real Talk has been a great read and is definitely a book that I would like to pass along to my Aunt.  If you or anyone that you are close to has been diagnosed with Lupus I highly recommend this book to you.  Make sure to follow Marissa and her book on Facebook and Twitter so that you can spread the word!

Lori