| Pink is everywhere. It is in all the media. | | | | the fund raising and the diagnosis of a disease |
| Department stores and designers all over the | | | | which may affect up to 250,000 additional women |
| world are supporting Breast Cancer Awareness. | | | | who are being treated for asthma, COPD, or |
| This October is one of the most campaigned year | | | | emphysema. |
| for woman's health issues in history. Not only | | | | Today a mammogram has been recognized as a |
| have the ills been brought to the forefront of | | | | health insurance benefit. It has become a national |
| societies issues; the risks and ways to avoid | | | | protocol for all women in their midlife years. |
| these diseases have been vanguard. | | | | Lymphangioleiomyomatosis can be detected early, |
| The top eight leading causes of death in women | | | | by CAT SCAN, and the chances of living are very |
| are heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic | | | | high. We must pay become knowledgeable about |
| obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's, | | | | what is going on in our gendered society in order |
| diabetes, accidents,and pneumonia /flu. Most of | | | | to be aware of other factors effecting our future |
| these diseases can be greatly eliminated if women | | | | generation. |
| would change their lifestyles. Obesity, high | | | | There is only one chance at life. We need to be |
| cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and not | | | | proactive, and become interactive in creating a |
| taking proper care of oneself are some of the | | | | healthier, happier, generation. The only way we |
| major causes of those concerns. | | | | can be sure we are protecting ourselves is by |
| What about diseases that we are not aware of, | | | | sharing this knowledge with others. |
| but we have many of the symptoms? What | | | | My friend passed away a year and a half ago. |
| about the diseases that have caused deaths, but | | | | She survived 13 years longer than she may have |
| were not treated because of the lack of funding | | | | if it wasn't for her passion to learn more; to fight |
| and research? | | | | to make a difference for others; and the support |
| As women, not only are we responsible for our | | | | of the LAM Foundation in procuring the doctors to |
| own health care; we need to be responsible and | | | | study the disease. |
| become knowledgeable about other diseases | | | | Below I have listed the website for the LAM |
| which exist. There is one disease that is very | | | | Foundation. It details the disease, it's symptoms, |
| rarely discussed or diagnosed because it's | | | | and it's current treatment. This disease effects |
| symptoms usually are treated incorrectly, or | | | | women in their estrogen child-bearing years. |
| misdiagnosed, and most women die from other | | | | Read this information and pass it on, it may save |
| complications before it is found. | | | | your life or that of another. |
| The disease is known as | | | | Facts About Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) |
| lymphangioleiomyomatosis, LAM for short. In the | | | | Symptoms may include shortness of breath, |
| early 90's I remember a close friend complaining | | | | collapsed lung, chest pain, cough, or fatigue. |
| about a shortness of breath. After several pleura | | | | Up to 50% of women with LAM have a benign |
| surgeries, x-rays and treatments for pneumonia, | | | | kidney tumor called angiomyolipoma. |
| a very young pulmonologist, who had just been | | | | LAM usually does not appear on an x-ray. A |
| to a conference, diagnosed her within an hour | | | | high-resolution CT scan of the chest, and often |
| with LAM. At that time she was the 13th patient | | | | the abdominal area, is required for accurate |
| to enter the study at the National Institutes of | | | | diagnosis. |
| Health in Bethesda, Maryland. While I discussed the | | | | LAM results in progressive destruction of healthy |
| genetic connection to a variety of lung diseases | | | | lung tissue caused by cyst formation and |
| with her doctors, they told me that there were | | | | abnormal growth of smooth muscle cells, not |
| only 300 people world-wide diagnosed with this | | | | usually found in the lungs. |
| disease. I had spent over 100 hours narrowing | | | | Lung capacity progressively declines, resulting in |
| down what I thought to be a connection with | | | | the need for oxygen therapy. |
| tuberous-sclerosis. The doctor told me that until | | | | Women often go undiagnosed for years, and are |
| the protocol was funded, and they were able to | | | | frequently misdiagnosed with asthma, bronchitis, |
| find at least 100 people in this Country with the | | | | or emphysema. |
| disease, it was not considered a women's priority | | | | The discovery of a genetic link between LAM and |
| issue. | | | | tuberous sclerosis (TS) leads scientists to |
| After ten years of protocol and research they | | | | estimate that more than 250,000 women |
| determined a link to tuberous-sclerosis. After 13 | | | | worldwide are unaware they have LAM. |
| years and the death of many women | | | | Since LAM occurs almost exclusively in women, |
| lymphangioleiomyomatosis has become a | | | | the disease is thought to be hormonally-related. |
| financially supported research project. The LAM | | | | Many doctors think pregnancy accelerates the |
| Foundation was established in 1994 by a mother | | | | disease |
| and daughter, who were personally fighting the | | | | There is no cure and no treatment that has |
| daughter's disease. The first 100 women in the | | | | proven to be effective, but treatment trials are |
| study made an outstanding contribution to both | | | | underway. |