A short blog

This month will be a short blog.

I have a family wedding soon and will not have much time to blog or write books. However, I do want to mention a few of the healthcare issues that we can focus on during June.

National Scleroderma Awareness Month--

”Scleroderma (sklair-oh-DUR-muh) is a group of rare diseases that involve the hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues.

Scleroderma affects women more often than men and most commonly occurs between the ages of 30 and 50. While there is no cure for scleroderma, a variety of treatments can ease symptoms and improve quality of life.

There are many different types of scleroderma. In some people, scleroderma affects only the skin. But in many people, scleroderma also harms structures beyond the skin, such as blood vessels, internal organs and the digestive tract (systemic scleroderma). Signs and symptoms vary, depending on which type of scleroderma you have.” Per the Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/scleroderma/symptoms-causes/syc-20351952

You may also want to check out the Scleroderma Foundations’ website at https://www.scleroderma.org/site/SPageNavigator/patients_whatis.html#.XVrsEONKiUk

National Aphasia Awareness Month

“Aphasia is an impairment of language, affecting the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write. Aphasia is always due to injury to the brain-most commonly from a stroke, particularly in older individuals. But brain injuries resulting in aphasia may also arise from head trauma, from brain tumors, or from infections.

Aphasia can be so severe as to make communication with the patient almost impossible, or it can be very mild. It may affect mainly a single aspect of language use, such as the ability to retrieve the names of objects, or the ability to put words together into sentences, or the ability to read. More commonly, however, multiple aspects of communication are impaired, while some channels remain accessible for a limited exchange of information.” Per https://www.aphasia.org/aphasia-definitions/

Please also go to: www.aphasia.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Aphasia-Definitions.pdf

June 7 National Cancer Survivor Day

June 19 World Sickle Cell Day