During the summer of 2006, at the age of 24, I started experiencing random joint in-fl ammations. At the time I was working as a massage therapist in 3 chiropractic offi ces, one spa, and at a cafe part time just to get medical benefi ts. When the infl ammation reached the joints in my hands, working became full days of silent agony for me but with no medical answers. I became weak and a rash spread across my face, but it wasn’t until a high fever put me in the hos-pital for a week in February 2007 that I was fi nally diagnosed with SLE and fi nally treated. For a few weeks after the hospitalization I was fi nally feeling “normal” again, but soon began experiencing severe nerve pains and growing numbness in my hands, feet, and face. This made it very diffi cult to function through the day and I had to give up my mas-sage jobs and instead took a desk job while still working the cafe for my precious bene-fi ts, although the work was very diffi cult on my body. I developed a limp from the odd sensations in my right foot and continued to grow weaker and lose weight for a year. In the spring of 2008, at the age of 26, I began feeling extremely weak and feverish and a sore developed on my tongue. Over the next week my eyesight began to cross and I started to lose strength in my arms and legs. Within a few weeks of blood work, an endoscopy, and a lumbar puncture, I found myself back in the hospital with a spinal tap confi rming my fears; not just a lupus fl are, but Guilliane-Barre as well. I knew what that would mean for me and when my mother drove up from Kentucky to stay by my side I asked her to pick up a video

camera and document my condition so that we could use it to help others in the future. I soon ended up almost completely paralyzed with the exception of my crossed eyes and some facial muscles, and put on a respira-tor and feeding tube while the Lupus affected my kidneys and became nephritis. My body swelled with fl uid retention and I naturally developed Pneumonia, just for good measure. It was 3 months before I began to move again while the whole time my mother, a writer, kept a tight journal of my days while taking pictures and fi lming me, and my family took turns keeping someone at my bedside for the entirety of visiting hours. As I improved with chemotherapy and I regained more muscle functions, I went through a step down facil-ity and nursing home to re-learn to breathe, eat, and eventually walk. My uncoopera-tive insurance company landed me home a little early and within two weeks I devel-oped shingles and was relapsing back into the nephritis and GB. Knowing what they were dealing with this time I was treated im-mediately with chemo for the nephritis and plasmapheresis for the GB and so the paral-ysis never went further than my legs, which kept my hospital stay under a month fol-lowed by Kessler for a few weeks of rehab. I have been home for 2 years now slowly recovering on my own and just fi nished my last round of chemo. There is very little sen-sation other than pins and needles in my hands, feet, and face, but the horrible nerve pains have nearly disappeared. I have trouble sleeping and am chronically tired lately with memory issues that frustrate those around

me, but my spirits are high and I’m lead-ing a full and happy life having just married and moved into our fi rst home. The diffi cult thing about Lupus is having all these things going on internally while you look just fi ne on the outside. Upon fi nally arriving home I began a monthly light-hearted newsletter to update an ever-growing list of people on my recovery with current photos. It helped me stay connected to the outside world while I recovered on one fl oor of my house. After having kept my schedule so busy in the past, it’s been diffi cult for me to be home all the time and not working especially knowing that I look perfectly fi ne to others. I decided the best way to ease back into working would be to start volunteering. It was around this time a few months ago that I found the op-portunity to volunteer with the lupus founda-tion. Through volunteering I now have the opportunity to share my story and knowledge to help others through educational talks, as I decided to do upon going into the hospital. Being able to help start up the new youth support group to aid other families going through this is proving to be a wonderful op-portunity for me to do just that. Most recently I have spoken about proper skin protection from the sun as well as vitamin supplemen-tation to make up for it. Volunteering is also helping me to be out of the house weekly and build up my stamina while I am able to interact with others in person; for that I am thoroughly grateful, and I look forward to being able to use my education and experi-ence to help in any way I can in the future.

*VALERIE COLANGELO IS A VOLUNTEER WORKING WITH THE LFANJ YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP.

Come join us and the A-Team (Sal Lataro, Joan Fitzgerald, Kay Garmo, Roc Garmo, and Amelia Estenes-O’Dell) and make a difference by spreading the word and working for a cure! To join us, please fi ll out the volunteer form on www.lupusnj.org, call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 or email us at info@lupusnj.org . You will have the opportunity to meet this dynamic group at the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now on October 23rd!

Support Group Facilitators Are Needed! Support groups are essential programs and extremely helpful to our mem-bers. We are currently seeking volunteer facilitators and co-facilitators for support groups in Hunterdon, Ocean, Passaic, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties. Can you help? Please contact the offi ce (973-379-3226) for a referral or email us at info@lupusnj.org. Formal training is provided to all facilitators. Please see the Support Group Meetings fl yer for additional details!

CHAIRMAN’S CORNERRanit C. Shriky

MY STORY BY VALERIE COLANGELO*

This has truly been an incredible year for the Lupus Community.

Finally, we have a newly approved drug, de-signed and developed specifi cally, to treat lu-pus.

The Chairman’s Corner is usually used to intro-duce someone or a new event to our organiza-tion. Today, I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts with you, on just how far we have come.

In 1986, I was diagnosed with lupus, a dis-ease virtually unheard of at the time. Also, the healthcare community did not seem to be very familiar with lupus. It was considered a rare or orphan disease at the time.

During my fi rst hospitalization, I remember a resident handing me a book published in 1964. The fi rst sentence read that if I had been diagnosed with lupus, I had less than two years to live. I immediately asked the resident to get rid of the book. I later went in search of other literature and found the same book in my com-munity library.

Shortly, thereafter, I had met Gloria Spadaro,

Founder of the LFANJ, and Patricia Johnson, Former Executive Director, LFANJ. After some discussion, Gloria and Pat had written a grant request to the Junior Women’s League (JWL). The JWL awarded the LFANJ a grant that would fund the replacement of that book in every li-brary throughout the State of New Jersey. We had distributed several updated books on lupus to all of the libraries in New Jersey. They were the only new books published at the time, but they certainly offered patients and their fami-lies more information and, most importantly, more hope than the book being replaced.

In 1986, we treated lupus with non-steroidal anti-infl ammatories like aspirin; corticoste-roids like Prednisone, Medrol or Solumedrol; antimalarials like Plaquenil; and immunosup-pressants like Imuran, Methotrexate or Cytox-an. Today, thankfully, we still have these, but we have other options too, like Cell Cept and Benlysta.

I have been very privileged to work with the Foundation since 1986, as a volunteer and as a member of its staff. I have also been most fortunate to work in the fi eld of Rheumatology since 1992, focusing on clinical research in lu-pus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antiphos-pholipid syndrome (APLS), osteoarthritis (OA),

and other related conditions. In the past de-cade, referred to as the Bone and Joint Decade, many new drugs were approved by the FDA and introduced to those living with autoim-mune diseases. Some of these drugs, known as biologics, are used today to treat RA, osteopo-rosis, SLE, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, Behςet’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis and other related disorders.

My point is that 25 years have past and al-though it may not seem like it, we have come a very, very long way. We have many more books, an award-winning magazine-LUPUS NOW, medical and scientifi c journals publish-ing data on lupus, resources for patients and their families, patient advocacy groups, and we have the pharmaceutical/biotech industry; agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH; and clin-ical researchers, scientists, and translational re-searchers. Each of them is making great strides every day so that those affected by lupus will have options; options that will help ease the pain, lessen the fatigue, allow us to function and be productive, give us hope, and improve our quality of life for many years to come. Part of our mission is to help fi nd the cure. Until we fi nd it, we will continue to make strides and do our best help you enjoy a better quality of life.

Hello again! Since I last wrote to you many things have happened in the Foundation. The Board has nominated and you confi rmed the selection of four indi-viduals to join the Board of Directors. They in-clude John Rokosny, a director and producer of videos, who has produced the Uncle Floyd video that you can view on Facebook; An-thony Albanese, a businessman from Union, New Jersey; Tammy Allen, an enthusiastic vol-unteer who has worked on the Walk, brought Whole Foods to the Walk as a vendor, and joined the fundraising committee; and Chuck Saia, a CPA with Deloitte, whose wife, Allison, is a volunteer with the Foundation. Each will bring a unique talent to the Board of Direc-tors. We have also voted to update our Bylaws.

With respect to fundraising, we initiated the fi rst Annual Valentine Dinner Dance which was held in February at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey. We had an eight piece band play music from the 40’s and 50’s and a sumptous meal. Everyone who attended said they had a great time, and would bring others next year. We also had our Annual Beefsteak, featuring Uncle Floyd, also held at the Brownstone, in April. We had 173 guests and hope to do better

next year. Uncle Floyd also graciously partici-pated in a PSA video for our foundation. He is a big reason why this event is so popular.

We also participated in Lupus Awareness Night at the Somerset Patriots ballpark on July 2nd. We were treated to a terrifi c fi re-works display after the game. Monmouth Fun Day was held at Monmouth Race Track on July 17th – everyone had a great time.

Upcoming is the 19th Annual Walk for Lupus which is scheduled for October 23th at Noma-hegan Park, Cranford, New Jersey. If you visit us online at www.lupusnj.org or call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 you will be informed as to how you can participate as an individual or by form-ing a team. Last year we raised $70,000.00, and I would like to see us exceed $100,000.00 this year. Get involved. It’s your foundation. I have also visited two of our support groups and hope to attend the other groups in the near future. Ranit Shriky, our Chairman, and I also attended a meeting hosted by the Na-tional Offi ce in Washington DC, and I at-tended a meeting of CEO’s in Atlanta, Geor-gia, also sponsored by the National Offi ce.The Foundation was represented at twelve health

fairs in New Jersey and New York, since pubic awareness is among our top priorities along with assisting the patients. The Plainfi eld school system also had Lupus Awareness Dress Down Day, and presented us with a check for over $3,700.00. We want to thank them very much.

We are really proud of the fact that we initi-ated a teen support group which has met four times at the offi ce. We have two 15-year old teens and two 12-year old teens who have attended with their parents, and they are very happy that we have started this group.

Since there are only three of us in the of-fi ce, we could not do all of these events without the help of the Board, our mem-bers and volunteers. I want to thank all of you for your support, time and talents. Volunteer and get involved in your foundation.

Thank you.

President and CEO

Hello again! Since I last

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGELeonard J. Andriuzzi, Esq.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

When you are preparing your Will, please consider leaving a gift to the foundation. Please consult with your lawyer and accountant because you may be able to save on inheritance and estate taxes.

YOUTH CORNER BY JASON KONIG

FAREWELL NOTE FROM ANGELA ROSSI

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this group a success. We have received an enormous amount of positive responses to our meetings and the topics we started dis-cussing such as school life, skin care, proper nutrition, medication, and self-esteem. In the future, we will continue to discuss these topics as well as exercise and fi tness. If there are any topics that you would like to discuss, please let us know.

Our next meeting is on September 10, 2011 at 10:30 a.m., at the Lupus Offi ce, which is located at 150 Morris Avenue in Springfi eld, New Jersey. If you are teenager or adolescent with lupus and would like to join please R.S.V.P. by September 7, 2011. Please call 973-379-3226 and ask for Jason. Remember this is open to teenagers and adolenscents with lupus, and their families and friends.

We hope you will continue to make your group a success. See you in the fall!

Thanks again, Jason

ANNOUNCEMENTS, SUPPORT GROUPS VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS

PLANNED GIVING

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this

During the summer of 2006, at the age of 24, I started experiencing random joint in-fl ammations. At the time I was working as a massage therapist in 3 chiropractic offi ces, one spa, and at a cafe part time just to get medical benefi ts. When the infl ammation reached the joints in my hands, working became full days of silent agony for me but with no medical answers. I became weak and a rash spread across my face, but it wasn’t until a high fever put me in the hos-pital for a week in February 2007 that I was fi nally diagnosed with SLE and fi nally treated. For a few weeks after the hospitalization I was fi nally feeling “normal” again, but soon began experiencing severe nerve pains and growing numbness in my hands, feet, and face. This made it very diffi cult to function through the day and I had to give up my mas-sage jobs and instead took a desk job while still working the cafe for my precious bene-fi ts, although the work was very diffi cult on my body. I developed a limp from the odd sensations in my right foot and continued to grow weaker and lose weight for a year. In the spring of 2008, at the age of 26, I began feeling extremely weak and feverish and a sore developed on my tongue. Over the next week my eyesight began to cross and I started to lose strength in my arms and legs. Within a few weeks of blood work, an endoscopy, and a lumbar puncture, I found myself back in the hospital with a spinal tap confi rming my fears; not just a lupus fl are, but Guilliane-Barre as well. I knew what that would mean for me and when my mother drove up from Kentucky to stay by my side I asked her to pick up a video

camera and document my condition so that we could use it to help others in the future. I soon ended up almost completely paralyzed with the exception of my crossed eyes and some facial muscles, and put on a respira-tor and feeding tube while the Lupus affected my kidneys and became nephritis. My body swelled with fl uid retention and I naturally developed Pneumonia, just for good measure. It was 3 months before I began to move again while the whole time my mother, a writer, kept a tight journal of my days while taking pictures and fi lming me, and my family took turns keeping someone at my bedside for the entirety of visiting hours. As I improved with chemotherapy and I regained more muscle functions, I went through a step down facil-ity and nursing home to re-learn to breathe, eat, and eventually walk. My uncoopera-tive insurance company landed me home a little early and within two weeks I devel-oped shingles and was relapsing back into the nephritis and GB. Knowing what they were dealing with this time I was treated im-mediately with chemo for the nephritis and plasmapheresis for the GB and so the paral-ysis never went further than my legs, which kept my hospital stay under a month fol-lowed by Kessler for a few weeks of rehab. I have been home for 2 years now slowly recovering on my own and just fi nished my last round of chemo. There is very little sen-sation other than pins and needles in my hands, feet, and face, but the horrible nerve pains have nearly disappeared. I have trouble sleeping and am chronically tired lately with memory issues that frustrate those around

me, but my spirits are high and I’m lead-ing a full and happy life having just married and moved into our fi rst home. The diffi cult thing about Lupus is having all these things going on internally while you look just fi ne on the outside. Upon fi nally arriving home I began a monthly light-hearted newsletter to update an ever-growing list of people on my recovery with current photos. It helped me stay connected to the outside world while I recovered on one fl oor of my house. After having kept my schedule so busy in the past, it’s been diffi cult for me to be home all the time and not working especially knowing that I look perfectly fi ne to others. I decided the best way to ease back into working would be to start volunteering. It was around this time a few months ago that I found the op-portunity to volunteer with the lupus founda-tion. Through volunteering I now have the opportunity to share my story and knowledge to help others through educational talks, as I decided to do upon going into the hospital. Being able to help start up the new youth support group to aid other families going through this is proving to be a wonderful op-portunity for me to do just that. Most recently I have spoken about proper skin protection from the sun as well as vitamin supplemen-tation to make up for it. Volunteering is also helping me to be out of the house weekly and build up my stamina while I am able to interact with others in person; for that I am thoroughly grateful, and I look forward to being able to use my education and experi-ence to help in any way I can in the future.

*VALERIE COLANGELO IS A VOLUNTEER WORKING WITH THE LFANJ YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP.

Come join us and the A-Team (Sal Lataro, Joan Fitzgerald, Kay Garmo, Roc Garmo, and Amelia Estenes-O’Dell) and make a difference by spreading the word and working for a cure! To join us, please fi ll out the volunteer form on www.lupusnj.org, call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 or email us at info@lupusnj.org . You will have the opportunity to meet this dynamic group at the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now on October 23rd!

Support Group Facilitators Are Needed! Support groups are essential programs and extremely helpful to our mem-bers. We are currently seeking volunteer facilitators and co-facilitators for support groups in Hunterdon, Ocean, Passaic, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties. Can you help? Please contact the offi ce (973-379-3226) for a referral or email us at info@lupusnj.org. Formal training is provided to all facilitators. Please see the Support Group Meetings fl yer for additional details!

CHAIRMAN’S CORNERRanit C. Shriky

MY STORY BY VALERIE COLANGELO*

This has truly been an incredible year for the Lupus Community.

Finally, we have a newly approved drug, de-signed and developed specifi cally, to treat lu-pus.

The Chairman’s Corner is usually used to intro-duce someone or a new event to our organiza-tion. Today, I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts with you, on just how far we have come.

In 1986, I was diagnosed with lupus, a dis-ease virtually unheard of at the time. Also, the healthcare community did not seem to be very familiar with lupus. It was considered a rare or orphan disease at the time.

During my fi rst hospitalization, I remember a resident handing me a book published in 1964. The fi rst sentence read that if I had been diagnosed with lupus, I had less than two years to live. I immediately asked the resident to get rid of the book. I later went in search of other literature and found the same book in my com-munity library.

Shortly, thereafter, I had met Gloria Spadaro,

Founder of the LFANJ, and Patricia Johnson, Former Executive Director, LFANJ. After some discussion, Gloria and Pat had written a grant request to the Junior Women’s League (JWL). The JWL awarded the LFANJ a grant that would fund the replacement of that book in every li-brary throughout the State of New Jersey. We had distributed several updated books on lupus to all of the libraries in New Jersey. They were the only new books published at the time, but they certainly offered patients and their fami-lies more information and, most importantly, more hope than the book being replaced.

In 1986, we treated lupus with non-steroidal anti-infl ammatories like aspirin; corticoste-roids like Prednisone, Medrol or Solumedrol; antimalarials like Plaquenil; and immunosup-pressants like Imuran, Methotrexate or Cytox-an. Today, thankfully, we still have these, but we have other options too, like Cell Cept and Benlysta.

I have been very privileged to work with the Foundation since 1986, as a volunteer and as a member of its staff. I have also been most fortunate to work in the fi eld of Rheumatology since 1992, focusing on clinical research in lu-pus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antiphos-pholipid syndrome (APLS), osteoarthritis (OA),

and other related conditions. In the past de-cade, referred to as the Bone and Joint Decade, many new drugs were approved by the FDA and introduced to those living with autoim-mune diseases. Some of these drugs, known as biologics, are used today to treat RA, osteopo-rosis, SLE, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, Behςet’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis and other related disorders.

My point is that 25 years have past and al-though it may not seem like it, we have come a very, very long way. We have many more books, an award-winning magazine-LUPUS NOW, medical and scientifi c journals publish-ing data on lupus, resources for patients and their families, patient advocacy groups, and we have the pharmaceutical/biotech industry; agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH; and clin-ical researchers, scientists, and translational re-searchers. Each of them is making great strides every day so that those affected by lupus will have options; options that will help ease the pain, lessen the fatigue, allow us to function and be productive, give us hope, and improve our quality of life for many years to come. Part of our mission is to help fi nd the cure. Until we fi nd it, we will continue to make strides and do our best help you enjoy a better quality of life.

Hello again! Since I last wrote to you many things have happened in the Foundation. The Board has nominated and you confi rmed the selection of four indi-viduals to join the Board of Directors. They in-clude John Rokosny, a director and producer of videos, who has produced the Uncle Floyd video that you can view on Facebook; An-thony Albanese, a businessman from Union, New Jersey; Tammy Allen, an enthusiastic vol-unteer who has worked on the Walk, brought Whole Foods to the Walk as a vendor, and joined the fundraising committee; and Chuck Saia, a CPA with Deloitte, whose wife, Allison, is a volunteer with the Foundation. Each will bring a unique talent to the Board of Direc-tors. We have also voted to update our Bylaws.

With respect to fundraising, we initiated the fi rst Annual Valentine Dinner Dance which was held in February at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey. We had an eight piece band play music from the 40’s and 50’s and a sumptous meal. Everyone who attended said they had a great time, and would bring others next year. We also had our Annual Beefsteak, featuring Uncle Floyd, also held at the Brownstone, in April. We had 173 guests and hope to do better

next year. Uncle Floyd also graciously partici-pated in a PSA video for our foundation. He is a big reason why this event is so popular.

We also participated in Lupus Awareness Night at the Somerset Patriots ballpark on July 2nd. We were treated to a terrifi c fi re-works display after the game. Monmouth Fun Day was held at Monmouth Race Track on July 17th – everyone had a great time.

Upcoming is the 19th Annual Walk for Lupus which is scheduled for October 23th at Noma-hegan Park, Cranford, New Jersey. If you visit us online at www.lupusnj.org or call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 you will be informed as to how you can participate as an individual or by form-ing a team. Last year we raised $70,000.00, and I would like to see us exceed $100,000.00 this year. Get involved. It’s your foundation. I have also visited two of our support groups and hope to attend the other groups in the near future. Ranit Shriky, our Chairman, and I also attended a meeting hosted by the Na-tional Offi ce in Washington DC, and I at-tended a meeting of CEO’s in Atlanta, Geor-gia, also sponsored by the National Offi ce.The Foundation was represented at twelve health

fairs in New Jersey and New York, since pubic awareness is among our top priorities along with assisting the patients. The Plainfi eld school system also had Lupus Awareness Dress Down Day, and presented us with a check for over $3,700.00. We want to thank them very much.

We are really proud of the fact that we initi-ated a teen support group which has met four times at the offi ce. We have two 15-year old teens and two 12-year old teens who have attended with their parents, and they are very happy that we have started this group.

Since there are only three of us in the of-fi ce, we could not do all of these events without the help of the Board, our mem-bers and volunteers. I want to thank all of you for your support, time and talents. Volunteer and get involved in your foundation.

Thank you.

President and CEO

Hello again! Since I last

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGELeonard J. Andriuzzi, Esq.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

When you are preparing your Will, please consider leaving a gift to the foundation. Please consult with your lawyer and accountant because you may be able to save on inheritance and estate taxes.

YOUTH CORNER BY JASON KONIG

FAREWELL NOTE FROM ANGELA ROSSI

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this group a success. We have received an enormous amount of positive responses to our meetings and the topics we started dis-cussing such as school life, skin care, proper nutrition, medication, and self-esteem. In the future, we will continue to discuss these topics as well as exercise and fi tness. If there are any topics that you would like to discuss, please let us know.

Our next meeting is on September 10, 2011 at 10:30 a.m., at the Lupus Offi ce, which is located at 150 Morris Avenue in Springfi eld, New Jersey. If you are teenager or adolescent with lupus and would like to join please R.S.V.P. by September 7, 2011. Please call 973-379-3226 and ask for Jason. Remember this is open to teenagers and adolenscents with lupus, and their families and friends.

We hope you will continue to make your group a success. See you in the fall!

Thanks again, Jason

ANNOUNCEMENTS, SUPPORT GROUPS VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS

PLANNED GIVING

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this

During the summer of 2006, at the age of 24, I started experiencing random joint in-fl ammations. At the time I was working as a massage therapist in 3 chiropractic offi ces, one spa, and at a cafe part time just to get medical benefi ts. When the infl ammation reached the joints in my hands, working became full days of silent agony for me but with no medical answers. I became weak and a rash spread across my face, but it wasn’t until a high fever put me in the hos-pital for a week in February 2007 that I was fi nally diagnosed with SLE and fi nally treated. For a few weeks after the hospitalization I was fi nally feeling “normal” again, but soon began experiencing severe nerve pains and growing numbness in my hands, feet, and face. This made it very diffi cult to function through the day and I had to give up my mas-sage jobs and instead took a desk job while still working the cafe for my precious bene-fi ts, although the work was very diffi cult on my body. I developed a limp from the odd sensations in my right foot and continued to grow weaker and lose weight for a year. In the spring of 2008, at the age of 26, I began feeling extremely weak and feverish and a sore developed on my tongue. Over the next week my eyesight began to cross and I started to lose strength in my arms and legs. Within a few weeks of blood work, an endoscopy, and a lumbar puncture, I found myself back in the hospital with a spinal tap confi rming my fears; not just a lupus fl are, but Guilliane-Barre as well. I knew what that would mean for me and when my mother drove up from Kentucky to stay by my side I asked her to pick up a video

camera and document my condition so that we could use it to help others in the future. I soon ended up almost completely paralyzed with the exception of my crossed eyes and some facial muscles, and put on a respira-tor and feeding tube while the Lupus affected my kidneys and became nephritis. My body swelled with fl uid retention and I naturally developed Pneumonia, just for good measure. It was 3 months before I began to move again while the whole time my mother, a writer, kept a tight journal of my days while taking pictures and fi lming me, and my family took turns keeping someone at my bedside for the entirety of visiting hours. As I improved with chemotherapy and I regained more muscle functions, I went through a step down facil-ity and nursing home to re-learn to breathe, eat, and eventually walk. My uncoopera-tive insurance company landed me home a little early and within two weeks I devel-oped shingles and was relapsing back into the nephritis and GB. Knowing what they were dealing with this time I was treated im-mediately with chemo for the nephritis and plasmapheresis for the GB and so the paral-ysis never went further than my legs, which kept my hospital stay under a month fol-lowed by Kessler for a few weeks of rehab. I have been home for 2 years now slowly recovering on my own and just fi nished my last round of chemo. There is very little sen-sation other than pins and needles in my hands, feet, and face, but the horrible nerve pains have nearly disappeared. I have trouble sleeping and am chronically tired lately with memory issues that frustrate those around

me, but my spirits are high and I’m lead-ing a full and happy life having just married and moved into our fi rst home. The diffi cult thing about Lupus is having all these things going on internally while you look just fi ne on the outside. Upon fi nally arriving home I began a monthly light-hearted newsletter to update an ever-growing list of people on my recovery with current photos. It helped me stay connected to the outside world while I recovered on one fl oor of my house. After having kept my schedule so busy in the past, it’s been diffi cult for me to be home all the time and not working especially knowing that I look perfectly fi ne to others. I decided the best way to ease back into working would be to start volunteering. It was around this time a few months ago that I found the op-portunity to volunteer with the lupus founda-tion. Through volunteering I now have the opportunity to share my story and knowledge to help others through educational talks, as I decided to do upon going into the hospital. Being able to help start up the new youth support group to aid other families going through this is proving to be a wonderful op-portunity for me to do just that. Most recently I have spoken about proper skin protection from the sun as well as vitamin supplemen-tation to make up for it. Volunteering is also helping me to be out of the house weekly and build up my stamina while I am able to interact with others in person; for that I am thoroughly grateful, and I look forward to being able to use my education and experi-ence to help in any way I can in the future.

*VALERIE COLANGELO IS A VOLUNTEER WORKING WITH THE LFANJ YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP.

Come join us and the A-Team (Sal Lataro, Joan Fitzgerald, Kay Garmo, Roc Garmo, and Amelia Estenes-O’Dell) and make a difference by spreading the word and working for a cure! To join us, please fi ll out the volunteer form on www.lupusnj.org, call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 or email us at info@lupusnj.org . You will have the opportunity to meet this dynamic group at the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now on October 23rd!

Support Group Facilitators Are Needed! Support groups are essential programs and extremely helpful to our mem-bers. We are currently seeking volunteer facilitators and co-facilitators for support groups in Hunterdon, Ocean, Passaic, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties. Can you help? Please contact the offi ce (973-379-3226) for a referral or email us at info@lupusnj.org. Formal training is provided to all facilitators. Please see the Support Group Meetings fl yer for additional details!

CHAIRMAN’S CORNERRanit C. Shriky

MY STORY BY VALERIE COLANGELO*

This has truly been an incredible year for the Lupus Community.

Finally, we have a newly approved drug, de-signed and developed specifi cally, to treat lu-pus.

The Chairman’s Corner is usually used to intro-duce someone or a new event to our organiza-tion. Today, I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts with you, on just how far we have come.

In 1986, I was diagnosed with lupus, a dis-ease virtually unheard of at the time. Also, the healthcare community did not seem to be very familiar with lupus. It was considered a rare or orphan disease at the time.

During my fi rst hospitalization, I remember a resident handing me a book published in 1964. The fi rst sentence read that if I had been diagnosed with lupus, I had less than two years to live. I immediately asked the resident to get rid of the book. I later went in search of other literature and found the same book in my com-munity library.

Shortly, thereafter, I had met Gloria Spadaro,

Founder of the LFANJ, and Patricia Johnson, Former Executive Director, LFANJ. After some discussion, Gloria and Pat had written a grant request to the Junior Women’s League (JWL). The JWL awarded the LFANJ a grant that would fund the replacement of that book in every li-brary throughout the State of New Jersey. We had distributed several updated books on lupus to all of the libraries in New Jersey. They were the only new books published at the time, but they certainly offered patients and their fami-lies more information and, most importantly, more hope than the book being replaced.

In 1986, we treated lupus with non-steroidal anti-infl ammatories like aspirin; corticoste-roids like Prednisone, Medrol or Solumedrol; antimalarials like Plaquenil; and immunosup-pressants like Imuran, Methotrexate or Cytox-an. Today, thankfully, we still have these, but we have other options too, like Cell Cept and Benlysta.

I have been very privileged to work with the Foundation since 1986, as a volunteer and as a member of its staff. I have also been most fortunate to work in the fi eld of Rheumatology since 1992, focusing on clinical research in lu-pus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antiphos-pholipid syndrome (APLS), osteoarthritis (OA),

and other related conditions. In the past de-cade, referred to as the Bone and Joint Decade, many new drugs were approved by the FDA and introduced to those living with autoim-mune diseases. Some of these drugs, known as biologics, are used today to treat RA, osteopo-rosis, SLE, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, Behςet’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis and other related disorders.

My point is that 25 years have past and al-though it may not seem like it, we have come a very, very long way. We have many more books, an award-winning magazine-LUPUS NOW, medical and scientifi c journals publish-ing data on lupus, resources for patients and their families, patient advocacy groups, and we have the pharmaceutical/biotech industry; agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH; and clin-ical researchers, scientists, and translational re-searchers. Each of them is making great strides every day so that those affected by lupus will have options; options that will help ease the pain, lessen the fatigue, allow us to function and be productive, give us hope, and improve our quality of life for many years to come. Part of our mission is to help fi nd the cure. Until we fi nd it, we will continue to make strides and do our best help you enjoy a better quality of life.

Hello again! Since I last wrote to you many things have happened in the Foundation. The Board has nominated and you confi rmed the selection of four indi-viduals to join the Board of Directors. They in-clude John Rokosny, a director and producer of videos, who has produced the Uncle Floyd video that you can view on Facebook; An-thony Albanese, a businessman from Union, New Jersey; Tammy Allen, an enthusiastic vol-unteer who has worked on the Walk, brought Whole Foods to the Walk as a vendor, and joined the fundraising committee; and Chuck Saia, a CPA with Deloitte, whose wife, Allison, is a volunteer with the Foundation. Each will bring a unique talent to the Board of Direc-tors. We have also voted to update our Bylaws.

With respect to fundraising, we initiated the fi rst Annual Valentine Dinner Dance which was held in February at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey. We had an eight piece band play music from the 40’s and 50’s and a sumptous meal. Everyone who attended said they had a great time, and would bring others next year. We also had our Annual Beefsteak, featuring Uncle Floyd, also held at the Brownstone, in April. We had 173 guests and hope to do better

next year. Uncle Floyd also graciously partici-pated in a PSA video for our foundation. He is a big reason why this event is so popular.

We also participated in Lupus Awareness Night at the Somerset Patriots ballpark on July 2nd. We were treated to a terrifi c fi re-works display after the game. Monmouth Fun Day was held at Monmouth Race Track on July 17th – everyone had a great time.

Upcoming is the 19th Annual Walk for Lupus which is scheduled for October 23th at Noma-hegan Park, Cranford, New Jersey. If you visit us online at www.lupusnj.org or call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 you will be informed as to how you can participate as an individual or by form-ing a team. Last year we raised $70,000.00, and I would like to see us exceed $100,000.00 this year. Get involved. It’s your foundation. I have also visited two of our support groups and hope to attend the other groups in the near future. Ranit Shriky, our Chairman, and I also attended a meeting hosted by the Na-tional Offi ce in Washington DC, and I at-tended a meeting of CEO’s in Atlanta, Geor-gia, also sponsored by the National Offi ce.The Foundation was represented at twelve health

fairs in New Jersey and New York, since pubic awareness is among our top priorities along with assisting the patients. The Plainfi eld school system also had Lupus Awareness Dress Down Day, and presented us with a check for over $3,700.00. We want to thank them very much.

We are really proud of the fact that we initi-ated a teen support group which has met four times at the offi ce. We have two 15-year old teens and two 12-year old teens who have attended with their parents, and they are very happy that we have started this group.

Since there are only three of us in the of-fi ce, we could not do all of these events without the help of the Board, our mem-bers and volunteers. I want to thank all of you for your support, time and talents. Volunteer and get involved in your foundation.

Thank you.

President and CEO

Hello again! Since I last

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGELeonard J. Andriuzzi, Esq.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

When you are preparing your Will, please consider leaving a gift to the foundation. Please consult with your lawyer and accountant because you may be able to save on inheritance and estate taxes.

YOUTH CORNER BY JASON KONIG

FAREWELL NOTE FROM ANGELA ROSSI

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this group a success. We have received an enormous amount of positive responses to our meetings and the topics we started dis-cussing such as school life, skin care, proper nutrition, medication, and self-esteem. In the future, we will continue to discuss these topics as well as exercise and fi tness. If there are any topics that you would like to discuss, please let us know.

Our next meeting is on September 10, 2011 at 10:30 a.m., at the Lupus Offi ce, which is located at 150 Morris Avenue in Springfi eld, New Jersey. If you are teenager or adolescent with lupus and would like to join please R.S.V.P. by September 7, 2011. Please call 973-379-3226 and ask for Jason. Remember this is open to teenagers and adolenscents with lupus, and their families and friends.

We hope you will continue to make your group a success. See you in the fall!

Thanks again, Jason

ANNOUNCEMENTS, SUPPORT GROUPS VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS

PLANNED GIVING

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this

During the summer of 2006, at the age of 24, I started experiencing random joint in-fl ammations. At the time I was working as a massage therapist in 3 chiropractic offi ces, one spa, and at a cafe part time just to get medical benefi ts. When the infl ammation reached the joints in my hands, working became full days of silent agony for me but with no medical answers. I became weak and a rash spread across my face, but it wasn’t until a high fever put me in the hos-pital for a week in February 2007 that I was fi nally diagnosed with SLE and fi nally treated. For a few weeks after the hospitalization I was fi nally feeling “normal” again, but soon began experiencing severe nerve pains and growing numbness in my hands, feet, and face. This made it very diffi cult to function through the day and I had to give up my mas-sage jobs and instead took a desk job while still working the cafe for my precious bene-fi ts, although the work was very diffi cult on my body. I developed a limp from the odd sensations in my right foot and continued to grow weaker and lose weight for a year. In the spring of 2008, at the age of 26, I began feeling extremely weak and feverish and a sore developed on my tongue. Over the next week my eyesight began to cross and I started to lose strength in my arms and legs. Within a few weeks of blood work, an endoscopy, and a lumbar puncture, I found myself back in the hospital with a spinal tap confi rming my fears; not just a lupus fl are, but Guilliane-Barre as well. I knew what that would mean for me and when my mother drove up from Kentucky to stay by my side I asked her to pick up a video

camera and document my condition so that we could use it to help others in the future. I soon ended up almost completely paralyzed with the exception of my crossed eyes and some facial muscles, and put on a respira-tor and feeding tube while the Lupus affected my kidneys and became nephritis. My body swelled with fl uid retention and I naturally developed Pneumonia, just for good measure. It was 3 months before I began to move again while the whole time my mother, a writer, kept a tight journal of my days while taking pictures and fi lming me, and my family took turns keeping someone at my bedside for the entirety of visiting hours. As I improved with chemotherapy and I regained more muscle functions, I went through a step down facil-ity and nursing home to re-learn to breathe, eat, and eventually walk. My uncoopera-tive insurance company landed me home a little early and within two weeks I devel-oped shingles and was relapsing back into the nephritis and GB. Knowing what they were dealing with this time I was treated im-mediately with chemo for the nephritis and plasmapheresis for the GB and so the paral-ysis never went further than my legs, which kept my hospital stay under a month fol-lowed by Kessler for a few weeks of rehab. I have been home for 2 years now slowly recovering on my own and just fi nished my last round of chemo. There is very little sen-sation other than pins and needles in my hands, feet, and face, but the horrible nerve pains have nearly disappeared. I have trouble sleeping and am chronically tired lately with memory issues that frustrate those around

me, but my spirits are high and I’m lead-ing a full and happy life having just married and moved into our fi rst home. The diffi cult thing about Lupus is having all these things going on internally while you look just fi ne on the outside. Upon fi nally arriving home I began a monthly light-hearted newsletter to update an ever-growing list of people on my recovery with current photos. It helped me stay connected to the outside world while I recovered on one fl oor of my house. After having kept my schedule so busy in the past, it’s been diffi cult for me to be home all the time and not working especially knowing that I look perfectly fi ne to others. I decided the best way to ease back into working would be to start volunteering. It was around this time a few months ago that I found the op-portunity to volunteer with the lupus founda-tion. Through volunteering I now have the opportunity to share my story and knowledge to help others through educational talks, as I decided to do upon going into the hospital. Being able to help start up the new youth support group to aid other families going through this is proving to be a wonderful op-portunity for me to do just that. Most recently I have spoken about proper skin protection from the sun as well as vitamin supplemen-tation to make up for it. Volunteering is also helping me to be out of the house weekly and build up my stamina while I am able to interact with others in person; for that I am thoroughly grateful, and I look forward to being able to use my education and experi-ence to help in any way I can in the future.

*VALERIE COLANGELO IS A VOLUNTEER WORKING WITH THE LFANJ YOUTH SUPPORT GROUP.

Come join us and the A-Team (Sal Lataro, Joan Fitzgerald, Kay Garmo, Roc Garmo, and Amelia Estenes-O’Dell) and make a difference by spreading the word and working for a cure! To join us, please fi ll out the volunteer form on www.lupusnj.org, call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 or email us at info@lupusnj.org . You will have the opportunity to meet this dynamic group at the 2011 Walk for Lupus Now on October 23rd!

Support Group Facilitators Are Needed! Support groups are essential programs and extremely helpful to our mem-bers. We are currently seeking volunteer facilitators and co-facilitators for support groups in Hunterdon, Ocean, Passaic, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties. Can you help? Please contact the offi ce (973-379-3226) for a referral or email us at info@lupusnj.org. Formal training is provided to all facilitators. Please see the Support Group Meetings fl yer for additional details!

CHAIRMAN’S CORNERRanit C. Shriky

MY STORY BY VALERIE COLANGELO*

This has truly been an incredible year for the Lupus Community.

Finally, we have a newly approved drug, de-signed and developed specifi cally, to treat lu-pus.

The Chairman’s Corner is usually used to intro-duce someone or a new event to our organiza-tion. Today, I wanted to share a few of my own thoughts with you, on just how far we have come.

In 1986, I was diagnosed with lupus, a dis-ease virtually unheard of at the time. Also, the healthcare community did not seem to be very familiar with lupus. It was considered a rare or orphan disease at the time.

During my fi rst hospitalization, I remember a resident handing me a book published in 1964. The fi rst sentence read that if I had been diagnosed with lupus, I had less than two years to live. I immediately asked the resident to get rid of the book. I later went in search of other literature and found the same book in my com-munity library.

Shortly, thereafter, I had met Gloria Spadaro,

Founder of the LFANJ, and Patricia Johnson, Former Executive Director, LFANJ. After some discussion, Gloria and Pat had written a grant request to the Junior Women’s League (JWL). The JWL awarded the LFANJ a grant that would fund the replacement of that book in every li-brary throughout the State of New Jersey. We had distributed several updated books on lupus to all of the libraries in New Jersey. They were the only new books published at the time, but they certainly offered patients and their fami-lies more information and, most importantly, more hope than the book being replaced.

In 1986, we treated lupus with non-steroidal anti-infl ammatories like aspirin; corticoste-roids like Prednisone, Medrol or Solumedrol; antimalarials like Plaquenil; and immunosup-pressants like Imuran, Methotrexate or Cytox-an. Today, thankfully, we still have these, but we have other options too, like Cell Cept and Benlysta.

I have been very privileged to work with the Foundation since 1986, as a volunteer and as a member of its staff. I have also been most fortunate to work in the fi eld of Rheumatology since 1992, focusing on clinical research in lu-pus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), antiphos-pholipid syndrome (APLS), osteoarthritis (OA),

and other related conditions. In the past de-cade, referred to as the Bone and Joint Decade, many new drugs were approved by the FDA and introduced to those living with autoim-mune diseases. Some of these drugs, known as biologics, are used today to treat RA, osteopo-rosis, SLE, asthma, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, Behςet’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis and other related disorders.

My point is that 25 years have past and al-though it may not seem like it, we have come a very, very long way. We have many more books, an award-winning magazine-LUPUS NOW, medical and scientifi c journals publish-ing data on lupus, resources for patients and their families, patient advocacy groups, and we have the pharmaceutical/biotech industry; agencies like the FDA, CDC and NIH; and clin-ical researchers, scientists, and translational re-searchers. Each of them is making great strides every day so that those affected by lupus will have options; options that will help ease the pain, lessen the fatigue, allow us to function and be productive, give us hope, and improve our quality of life for many years to come. Part of our mission is to help fi nd the cure. Until we fi nd it, we will continue to make strides and do our best help you enjoy a better quality of life.

Hello again! Since I last wrote to you many things have happened in the Foundation. The Board has nominated and you confi rmed the selection of four indi-viduals to join the Board of Directors. They in-clude John Rokosny, a director and producer of videos, who has produced the Uncle Floyd video that you can view on Facebook; An-thony Albanese, a businessman from Union, New Jersey; Tammy Allen, an enthusiastic vol-unteer who has worked on the Walk, brought Whole Foods to the Walk as a vendor, and joined the fundraising committee; and Chuck Saia, a CPA with Deloitte, whose wife, Allison, is a volunteer with the Foundation. Each will bring a unique talent to the Board of Direc-tors. We have also voted to update our Bylaws.

With respect to fundraising, we initiated the fi rst Annual Valentine Dinner Dance which was held in February at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey. We had an eight piece band play music from the 40’s and 50’s and a sumptous meal. Everyone who attended said they had a great time, and would bring others next year. We also had our Annual Beefsteak, featuring Uncle Floyd, also held at the Brownstone, in April. We had 173 guests and hope to do better

next year. Uncle Floyd also graciously partici-pated in a PSA video for our foundation. He is a big reason why this event is so popular.

We also participated in Lupus Awareness Night at the Somerset Patriots ballpark on July 2nd. We were treated to a terrifi c fi re-works display after the game. Monmouth Fun Day was held at Monmouth Race Track on July 17th – everyone had a great time.

Upcoming is the 19th Annual Walk for Lupus which is scheduled for October 23th at Noma-hegan Park, Cranford, New Jersey. If you visit us online at www.lupusnj.org or call the offi ce at 973-379-3226 you will be informed as to how you can participate as an individual or by form-ing a team. Last year we raised $70,000.00, and I would like to see us exceed $100,000.00 this year. Get involved. It’s your foundation. I have also visited two of our support groups and hope to attend the other groups in the near future. Ranit Shriky, our Chairman, and I also attended a meeting hosted by the Na-tional Offi ce in Washington DC, and I at-tended a meeting of CEO’s in Atlanta, Geor-gia, also sponsored by the National Offi ce.The Foundation was represented at twelve health

fairs in New Jersey and New York, since pubic awareness is among our top priorities along with assisting the patients. The Plainfi eld school system also had Lupus Awareness Dress Down Day, and presented us with a check for over $3,700.00. We want to thank them very much.

We are really proud of the fact that we initi-ated a teen support group which has met four times at the offi ce. We have two 15-year old teens and two 12-year old teens who have attended with their parents, and they are very happy that we have started this group.

Since there are only three of us in the of-fi ce, we could not do all of these events without the help of the Board, our mem-bers and volunteers. I want to thank all of you for your support, time and talents. Volunteer and get involved in your foundation.

Thank you.

President and CEO

Hello again! Since I last

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGELeonard J. Andriuzzi, Esq.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The information provided by this newsletter should not take the place of the information and advice provided by your health care professional. We urge you to discuss any questions you have about symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and alternative therapies with your physician.

LFANJ DISCLAIMER: It is the policy of the Lupus Foundation of America, New Jersey Chapter, Inc. to publish articles pertinent to lupus and related diseases. We do not endorse any of the articles published herein, but publish them for your information. We oppose self-diagnosis and self-treatment and urge all who read this publication to discuss any concerns regarding diagnosis and treatment with their physicians.

When you are preparing your Will, please consider leaving a gift to the foundation. Please consult with your lawyer and accountant because you may be able to save on inheritance and estate taxes.

YOUTH CORNER BY JASON KONIG

FAREWELL NOTE FROM ANGELA ROSSI

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this group a success. We have received an enormous amount of positive responses to our meetings and the topics we started dis-cussing such as school life, skin care, proper nutrition, medication, and self-esteem. In the future, we will continue to discuss these topics as well as exercise and fi tness. If there are any topics that you would like to discuss, please let us know.

Our next meeting is on September 10, 2011 at 10:30 a.m., at the Lupus Offi ce, which is located at 150 Morris Avenue in Springfi eld, New Jersey. If you are teenager or adolescent with lupus and would like to join please R.S.V.P. by September 7, 2011. Please call 973-379-3226 and ask for Jason. Remember this is open to teenagers and adolenscents with lupus, and their families and friends.

We hope you will continue to make your group a success. See you in the fall!

Thanks again, Jason

ANNOUNCEMENTS, SUPPORT GROUPS VOLUNTEERS AND INTERNS

PLANNED GIVING

Dear Your Support Group Members:

Hope you all had a great summer. I just want to thank you and the Youth Support Group Facilitators for making this