🌍 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗦𝗷𝗼̈𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 | 𝟮𝟯 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
Today marks World Sjögren’s Day, a global event dedicated to raising awareness about Sjögren’s syndrome — a chronic autoimmune disease affecting millions worldwide. Since 2010, this day has been observed to support healthcare education, advocacy, and research.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗷𝗼̈𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘀 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗲?
It’s a long-term autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks moisture-producing glands, causing symptoms like:

Dry eyes (Xerophthalmia)
Dry mouth (Xerostomia)
Fatigue
Joint and muscle pain
It can also affect lungs, kidneys, and the nervous system. Women are disproportionately affected, and it may occur alone or with other autoimmune diseases like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁?
Diagnosis is often delayed due to complex symptoms and lack of universal clinical guidelines.
Treatment varies per patient, as disease progression is unpredictable.
Awareness helps reduce diagnosis time and improves patient care.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 & 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝘆
Established in 2010 by the Sjögren's Foundation, founded by Elaine Harris in 1983.
Commemorated on 23 July, the birthday of Dr. Henrik Sjögren, who discovered the disease in 1933.
The Foundation has driven key advances such as FDA drug approvals and biomarker identification.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: “𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵”
This year focuses on harnessing clinical data and patient experiences to improve diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life for those affected.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲:
Blood tests for SS-A (Ro) and SS-B (La) antibodies
Schirmer test for tear production
Eye surface staining with Rose Bengal or Lissamine Green dyes
Salivary flow measurement and gland biopsy

Let’s stand together to support patients and promote research that will transform lives. Share this message to increase awareness.

#WorldSjogrensDay #SjogrensSyndrome #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicIllness #DryEyes #DryMouth #PatientAwareness #HealthcareEducation #SjogrensResearch #AutoimmuneAwareness #PACEHospitals #SCABPharmacy

It turns out my father barely communicates these days because his life is complicated. He's 82, and his current partner is 85 and very ill, with near-terminal heart failure and COPD. He cares for her alone, with almost no help. One of my sisters is disabled due to hyper-obesity, and the other suffers from severe depression. And I'm far away, 1,100 km away, and unable to travel.
He's decided to send me his guitar as a gift, since I haven't had a guitar for several years now. And that's a gesture that speaks volumes to me. I know it's like a kind of farewell, a way of saying he feels he's at the end of his rope.
We've had a relationship that was sometimes very conflictive and sometimes very good. I worked with him for many years in various capacities: a construction company (I'm an electronics engineer), forensics, criminal intelligence, police, etc.
Recently, I thanked him for the good things I learned from him and also for the bad things about the relationship, because they're what drove me to seek a spiritual path since I was a child.
I'm sure he's neurodivergent too. I'd bet I inherited my giftedness from him and my autism from my mother.
I don't know if I'll be able to see him before the end, and I don't know which of us will go first. That's the truth because my autoimmune diseases progress too quickly.
Things are as they are and we are as we are. We must practice acceptance and adapting to causes and conditions.

#actuallyautistic #oldage #father #family #giftedness #autism #neurodivergent #mentalhealth #autoimmune #autoimmunedisease

@actuallyautistic
My wife is a professional artisan pastry chef and baker. She makes baked goods without additives and with natural ingredients. Since I follow a very restricted and special diet due to my health issues, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and digestive sensitivities, she's making gluten-free puddings, pizzas, and breads. Needless to say, this makes me happy, both for being able to eat delicious and healthy food and for her generous act of love in taking care of me.
She has heart failure, and I'm her coach and therapist, and she's my cook. I prepare her plant-based remedies, help her with her Qigong and meditation exercises, and she makes sure I don't eat processed junk food.
Her way of giving love is feeding people. Mine is protecting and healing broken bodies.
We're both autistic and gifted. Yes, we have challenges, and sometimes they're many, but we also have this relationship, which is a gem not so easy to find these days. 💕

#healthyfood #glutenfree #actuallyautistic #gifted #frugal #autoimmune #autoimmunedisease #baking #pudding #pizza #bread #love #cooking