Chronic Health Condition

Carrie Ann Inaba Takes Leave of Absence Due to Autoimmune Diseases

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Carrie Ann Inaba has said that she is taking a leave of absence from her TV hosting role to focus on her health.

Carrie Ann Inaba, TV host on CBS’ The Talk and judge on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars opened up about her struggle living with autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses on her blog, Carrie Ann Conversations.

The Emmy award-nominated TV personality said that she has been diagnosed with several different autoimmune diseases and chronic conditions over the years, including Sjogren’s Syndrome, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and she also has the markers for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), which causes blood clots. The 53-year-old dancer and choreographer says she also struggles with fibromyalgia and spinal stenosis.

As a result of her various autoimmune conditions, Inaba has taken a leave of absence from her role on The Talk so that she can focus on her health, reports MedPage Today.

Talking about her health journey, Inaba said: “Even if we are fortunate enough to get a diagnosis, we can quickly end up with more questions than answers. Often when it comes to autoimmune conditions there is no perfect solution or clear path forward.”

Inaba continued, explaining: “Coping with autoimmune conditions can sometimes feel quite lonely. When I first got diagnosed, some encouraged me to keep my struggles to myself, but I’ve found that it’s always been better to be honest about my needs and realities than to stay silent. I believe strongly in sharing my journey, my solutions, and the things that have helped me.”

In this spirit, Inaba has shared on her blog the products that have helped her cope with her autoimmune disease symptoms – including eye dryness, mouth dryness, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog and more – so that others can benefit from these products and see if they work for them.

This isn’t the first time that Carrie Ann Inaba has opened up about her health struggles. The starlet previously posted on Instagram about how she felt ashamed of her autoimmune diseases, and wanting “…to be what people see. And people see a healthy person, from the outside.” However, confronting her health problems made Inaba reflect on who she is as a person, besides just her identity as a “sexy dancer chick.”

From all of us at Autoimmune Warrior, we want to thank Carrie Ann for opening up about her health journey as an #AutoimmuneWarrior, and raising awareness about the 80+ autoimmune diseases affecting over 23 million Americans. Because of celebrities like her, more people among the general population are learning about autoimmune conditions, and why extensive research is needed to find better treatments, and eventually, a cure.

Queen Latifah Raises Awareness about Scleroderma

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Queen Latifah with her mother, Rita Owens, who passed away in 2018 after a five-year battle with Scleroderma. Photo credit: Johnny Nunez.

Queen Latifah, an actress, producer and singer, has become an advocate for those living with scleroderma after losing her mother, Rita Owens, to the disease in 2018.

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is an autoimmune disease that translates from Greek to ‘hard skin’, since hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease, according to the Scleroderma Foundation. Symptoms of scleroderma can vary widely from person to person, and its effects can range from mild to life threatening. One of the most life threatening effects of scleroderma is that it can cause tissues on major organs to harden. In approximately 25% of patients, scleroderma results in interstitial lung disease, which causes scarring of the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe, which may also be fatal for the patient.

Unfortunately, this is what happened to Rita Owens. A lifelong educator, she passed out when teaching in her classroom. Though she had experienced shortness of breath and dry cough for a while, her family had thought it was just a result of her getting older. It wasn’t until she fainted in front of her students that various tests were done and specialists consulted, when she was finally diagnosed with systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

Before her passing, Rita Owens was one of approximately 300,000 Americans who suffer from Scleroderma.

In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Latifah said that the diagnosis came as a total shock to her family, saying, “That was terrifying because now we had to figure out, ‘what does it mean to have this autoimmune disease?’ I had never heard of scleroderma before.”

According to the Scleroderma Foundation, scleroderma affects an estimated 300,000 Americans. It’s onset is most frequent between the ages of 25 and 55, and women are four times more likely to have the disease than men. Localized scleroderma is more common in children, whereas adults are more likely to suffer from the systemic version of the disease that is more widespread in the body. Though the exact cause of the disease is unknown, it’s believed that genetic factors can make one more susceptible to the disease, and that it involves an overproduction of collagen.

Since little is known about the disease, Latifah is partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness as part of the More Than Scleroderma campaign. “The right information and resources are out there and you can start by visiting SclerodermaILD.com. My hope is that I can help make others’ journey with SSc-ILD a little less challenging.”

Though Latifah was devastated to lose her mother after a five-year battle with the disease, she hopes to make a difference in her memory. “I found that knowledge is power when it came to managing my mom’s health, and I want to share what I’ve learned to help others. Anything my mom could do to help someone else have an easier journey, she wanted to be a part of – so it’s important for me to carry on my mom’s mission,” she explained.

To learn more about Scleroderma, visit the Scleroderma Foundation website.

Young Autoimmune Patients Raise Awareness Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, young patients with autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses are using the hashtag #HighRiskCovid19 to raise awareness about their conditions.

Although many media outlets and government officials have stated that young individuals need not worry about the coronavirus, and that it’s primarily older individuals who are the most at risk, immunocompromised young people are telling their own story. Whether they take immunosuppressants for their condition, or are at risk due to the nature of their chronic illness, these patients are asking their peers to keep them in mind when they consider venturing out instead of remaining in self-isolation.

Brittania, a 20-year old young woman from Jamaica, tweeted: ‘Hi, I’m 20 and I have Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus (SLE)/Lupus Nephritis. I take immunosuppressants to keep my body from attacking itself. I’m amongst those who have to self-isolate to stay healthy for a majority of this year. So please keep me/others in mind when you think you ‘can’t stay in’.

Sarah Elliott, from San Francisco, California, added: ‘I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and take an immunosuppressant drug for it. I also have severe asthma and take a controller medication as well. I have 2 kids and I would love to watch them grow up. Please help protect us!’

Nancy Mendoza, an autoimmune patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), also tweeted: ‘I’ve been on immunosuppressing meds for 15 years for rheumatoid arthritis. Stay home. Flatten the curve. People like me are depending on you.’

Others decided to use the trending hashtag to raise awareness on behalf of a loved one with a chronic illness. A man from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, for example, implored: ‘This is my wife. She is on immunosuppressive infusion therapy battling ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. She is among the high risk during this COVID-19 pandemic. I’m putting a face to the most vulnerable. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.’

Personally, I am also taking greater precautions as the coronavirus spreads further into our communities, since I take immunosupressant medication for Sjogren’s Syndrome and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. I also have asthma, which puts me at a greater risk for serious pulmonary complications, like pneumonia, since the virus is respiratory in nature. Thankfully, I’m able to work remotely, limiting my exposure to others, and my husband has taken on any duties that require us to set foot outside, including grocery shopping.

Do you or someone you love have an autoimmune disease, and are therefore at a greater risk for complications associated with the coronavirus? If so, please comment below and let us know how you’re handling this public health scare as a #HighRiskCovid19 patient.