Mother, daughter on same team against lupus

The pain can be so severe it hurts to move a finger. The swelling can be so bad you can’t move.

And yet, when Linda Vazquez and her teenage daughter, Alexa Lee, tell people they suffer from lupus, they often hear: But you don’t look sick.

“We get that a lot,” said Vazquez of Flowery Branch. “Not a lot of people understand it because a lot of patients with lupus look fine from the outside, and there can be many symptoms you are suffering.”

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. With lupus, the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues instead of foreign substances such as bacteria. Lupus causes inflammation that leads to pain and swelling in various parts of the body. There is no cure.

Today, Vazquez and her daughter and their team, “the Terminators,” will participate in the Atlanta Walk for Lupus at Piedmont Park, an annual event to raise money for and awareness of the disease.

As many as 6,000 walkers are expected to participate. (People can register today before the walk.) Last year, the walk raised $400,000, and organizers are expecting to raise close to $420,000 this year.

An estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Nine out of 10 people who have lupus are women, and the majority are women of color.

Genetic factors may increase the odds of developing lupus, but scientists believe environmental triggers such as a cold, another virus or anything that causes stress to the body, such as surgery or pregnancy, also can contribute.

Although some people with lupus experience only mild symptoms, the chronic disease can be severe. It can damage any part of the body — skin, joints and vital organs.

Songstress Toni Braxton, a former longtime Atlanta resident who has been open about living with lupus, was recently hospitalized for a flare up.

“The reason the walk is important is because lupus is very misunderstood and misdiagnosed and such a challenging disease,” said Maria Myler, president of the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America. “It’s very life-diminishing. It can attack every part of the body. A woman with lupus may be sick one day and not the next. People think, ‘If she’s better now, it’s can’t be that big of a thing.’ ”

Vazquez was diagnosed at age 30. Alexa, 16, was diagnosed four years ago. More recently, Alexa was diagnosed with lupus nephritis, which affects the kidneys.

Last year, the teen was hospitalized five times for extreme pain and swelling. This year, she landed in intensive care for two days after her blood pressure dropped to a dangerously low level.

On good days, the two enjoy working out and living a full, normal life. On rough days, they have no choice but to take it easy. When they are home-bound and in pain, they often turn to collage-like journals.

The creative outlet helps take their mind off the pain.

Despite the illness, Alexa is determined to do well in school. She is in the National Honor Society. She works on her homework — even if she has her legs propped up at home or hooked up to IVs in the hospital.

Vazquez, who recently started a support group for teenagers with lupus, said it has been devastating to watch her daughter grapple with this life-long illness.

The disease can cause the body to swell, and steroid treatments can cause weight gain — not easy things for a teenage girl, Vazquez said.

“It’s not like you get the right medication and you are done,” she said. “This is a lifelong learning and listening to your body and having responsibilities other kids your age don’t have to think of.”

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Event preview

Atlanta Walk for Lupus

Saturday 3 p.m. check in; 5 p.m. walk.

Piedmont Park. Registration is free. (Donations encouraged.)

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INFORMATION

● For more information about the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America, go to www.lupusga.org.