World expert in the disease Lupus is Dr Graham Hughes at St Thomas' Hospital, London
The following is a copy of an article at Surrey Online news Feb 24 2005 that I am posting here as it points out:
IT STARTED when Martin Burton was standing outside a Reigate school with his wife when she pointed out a woman in a wheelchair who was suffering from a debilitating disease called lupus.
Many people have heard of lupus but few could tell you exactly what it is. Yet it is recognised as a common illness of modern times.
It is a disease in which the immune system becomes overactive and it can affect any organ of the body. Because the symptoms can be so diverse, including for example severe fatigue, rashes, allergies, depression and kidney failure, it is called the "great mimic".
A year later Martin saw the same woman. She had fully recovered and told him she was supporting the St Thomas' Lupus Trust - a charity organisation supported by independent donations and set up to help sufferers of the disease.
Martin, 51, who is married with two children and lives at Sidlow, near Reigate, was so impressed with the work they do that he became a trustee and embarked upon a fundraising venture.
He said: "Over the years I have done various travels and never combined any of my trips with the charity.
"I had planned a trip to Antarctica to follow in the footsteps of Scott of the Antarctic, and decided to dedicate the trip to the charity.
"It was not really a publicity-sponsored effort - it was all personal donations from a few companies and friends."
While planning for his 600-mile trek by ski, kite and wind sail from the South Pole across frozen land to reach the nearest sea ice in the Hercules Inlet, someone suggested he write a book about his trip.
"I agreed. I thought it would make a good story. I committed myself to writing the book with the idea of giving all the proceeds to the Lupus Trust."
Martin's adventures in getting from the South Pole to the Hercules inlet make fascinating reading. Called An English Amateur in Antarctica it is a daily record of his team's slog across the ice, complete with all the frustrations, tensions and elation that he says are all part of life on the ice-fields.
Martin, who runs a financial services company, is modest about his achievement and prefers to talk about the lupus charity he supports.
"What the book is doing is widening the awareness of the disease," he said. "All ages can be affected, but the commonest sufferers are women aged between 15 and 45.
"It was once thought of as untreatable. But this is now not the case because research into the cause and treatment of lupus over the last 10 years is bringing rewards."
The lupus unit is headed by world expert in the disease, Dr Graham Hughes, at St Thomas' Hospital, in London.
Research into its causes is 100 per cent funded by voluntary contributions and gets no Government or NHS funding.
Angie Davidson is marketing director of St Thomas' Lupus Trust and is delighted that Martin Burton is so involved in raising awareness of the disease.
She said: "Lupus is more common than some forms of leukaemia or MS and 90 per cent of suffers are women.
"The symptoms are that people feel extremely exhausted, they have aching joints, headaches and depression.
"The trouble is that GPs are not recognising the symptoms and put them down to 'women's problems, hormones or stress'.
"They often misdiagnose it as ME or chronic fatigue syndrome or some vague illness.
"The trouble is that lupus mimics other diseases. It's actually called the mimic dis-ease.
"It is very debilitating and needs more understanding. The trust is embarking on a leaflet campaign to make GPs throughout the country more aware of its symptoms. If they spot it early it can be treated and they can save patients years of suffering."
The St Thomas' Lupus Trust website is on www.lupus.org.uk
For more information about the trust call Angie Davidson on 020 7188 3562.
*An English Amateur in Antarctica is priced at £19.95 and is available from The Ancient House bookshop, Bell Street, Reigate.
http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/reigate/
Martin's antarctic adventure is a bonus for lupus sufferers
The lupus unit is headed by world expert in the disease, Dr Graham Hughes, at St Thomas' Hospital, in London. Research into the causes of Lupus is 100 per cent funded by voluntary contributions and gets no Government or NHS funding. Angie Davidson is marketing director of St Thomas' Lupus Trust and is delighted that Martin Burton is so involved in raising awareness of the disease.Adventurer Martin Burton caught the travel bug at an early age and has travelled the world to exotic places. Then a chance meeting with a seriously ill woman in a wheelchair made his latest trip to Antarctica all the more special. DAVID JOHNS reports:
IT STARTED when Martin Burton was standing outside a Reigate school with his wife when she pointed out a woman in a wheelchair who was suffering from a debilitating disease called lupus.
Many people have heard of lupus but few could tell you exactly what it is. Yet it is recognised as a common illness of modern times.
It is a disease in which the immune system becomes overactive and it can affect any organ of the body. Because the symptoms can be so diverse, including for example severe fatigue, rashes, allergies, depression and kidney failure, it is called the "great mimic".
A year later Martin saw the same woman. She had fully recovered and told him she was supporting the St Thomas' Lupus Trust - a charity organisation supported by independent donations and set up to help sufferers of the disease.
Martin, 51, who is married with two children and lives at Sidlow, near Reigate, was so impressed with the work they do that he became a trustee and embarked upon a fundraising venture.
He said: "Over the years I have done various travels and never combined any of my trips with the charity.
"I had planned a trip to Antarctica to follow in the footsteps of Scott of the Antarctic, and decided to dedicate the trip to the charity.
"It was not really a publicity-sponsored effort - it was all personal donations from a few companies and friends."
While planning for his 600-mile trek by ski, kite and wind sail from the South Pole across frozen land to reach the nearest sea ice in the Hercules Inlet, someone suggested he write a book about his trip.
"I agreed. I thought it would make a good story. I committed myself to writing the book with the idea of giving all the proceeds to the Lupus Trust."
Martin's adventures in getting from the South Pole to the Hercules inlet make fascinating reading. Called An English Amateur in Antarctica it is a daily record of his team's slog across the ice, complete with all the frustrations, tensions and elation that he says are all part of life on the ice-fields.
Martin, who runs a financial services company, is modest about his achievement and prefers to talk about the lupus charity he supports.
"What the book is doing is widening the awareness of the disease," he said. "All ages can be affected, but the commonest sufferers are women aged between 15 and 45.
"It was once thought of as untreatable. But this is now not the case because research into the cause and treatment of lupus over the last 10 years is bringing rewards."
The lupus unit is headed by world expert in the disease, Dr Graham Hughes, at St Thomas' Hospital, in London.
Research into its causes is 100 per cent funded by voluntary contributions and gets no Government or NHS funding.
Angie Davidson is marketing director of St Thomas' Lupus Trust and is delighted that Martin Burton is so involved in raising awareness of the disease.
She said: "Lupus is more common than some forms of leukaemia or MS and 90 per cent of suffers are women.
"The symptoms are that people feel extremely exhausted, they have aching joints, headaches and depression.
"The trouble is that GPs are not recognising the symptoms and put them down to 'women's problems, hormones or stress'.
"They often misdiagnose it as ME or chronic fatigue syndrome or some vague illness.
"The trouble is that lupus mimics other diseases. It's actually called the mimic dis-ease.
"It is very debilitating and needs more understanding. The trust is embarking on a leaflet campaign to make GPs throughout the country more aware of its symptoms. If they spot it early it can be treated and they can save patients years of suffering."
The St Thomas' Lupus Trust website is on www.lupus.org.uk
For more information about the trust call Angie Davidson on 020 7188 3562.
*An English Amateur in Antarctica is priced at £19.95 and is available from The Ancient House bookshop, Bell Street, Reigate.
http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/reigate/
Martin's antarctic adventure is a bonus for lupus sufferers
posted by Ingrid J. Jones at Saturday, February 26, 2005
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