Vision

As the sun rises, our horizon expands. The very essence of the sun, to humans, is to provide warmth and clarity. To shed light on the world around us. Through the light, we gain a perspective. But is there a light that can pierce inside us? Can we gain perspective on the life processes that make us human? Is there any light that can help us see what is going on in our own bodies?

The human body is a marvelous machine. Composed of organic materials, it is its own bubble of homeostasis. It can be thought of as a computer, ecosystem, or even a small society, whichever metaphor resonates with you more. If we looked at the human body as a kingdom, that would make the person the king, the body the kingdom.

Fleshing out the metaphor, there are plenty of parallels that can be drawn between the human body and a kingdom. As kings, we have to make make decisions that we feel are in our kingdoms' best interest. Few rulers know every little process that made their world go round. They made the big decision, but they did not deal with the small squabbles in the streets and the day to day clockwork of living of each individual subject.

Going one step further with the metaphor, our immune system is like the kingdom's military. It patrols the streets, it fights the foreign invaders, and it keeps our veins safe for the common red blood cell. As has happened countless times in history, the military sometimes loses sight of its purpose, and attacks the people it has sworn to protect. In this way, a coup occurs. The military storms the king's castle, causes chaos in the street, and brings about anarchy.

This is what an autoimmune reaction feels like. Internal chaos. We do not know why they happen. All we know is that it needs to be stopped.

Autoimmune diseases are conditions where the white blood cells, the defenders of the body, attack the body. The triggers are unknown. And the length of course of the disease is uncertain. Each person's symptoms vary. The diseases are usually treated symptomatically, with large doses of prayer and hope for good measure.

Many people are initially unaware of their condition until a major flare occurs. A flare is an expression of the disease. For Lupus patients, it may be joint pain, fevers, or a rash. For Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, crippling joint pain, loss of strength and weight gain. A lot of these conditions can be misdiagnosed as well, leading to a patient receiving the wrong treatment for, sometimes, extended periods of time.

The goal of Auto Immune Disease Awareness is to shine light on these diseases. To peer into the world under our skin and see what really makes us tick. To give us perspective on what is going on in our own bodies, so we can better take care of ourselves or loved ones with these autoimmune diseases.

Vision. That is what this is. Vision.