Physical Wellness and Movement
Resources on physical wellness and movement such as exercise videos and an exercise guidebook created by people living with vasculitis for people living with vasculitis. These materials were designed to provide a comprehensive path toward living a healthier lifestyle and not let vasculitis rob people of their independence.
Mental Health and Mindfulness
Webpage with videos and other resources on mental health and mindfulness created by people living with vasculitis for people living with vasculitis. Includes a downloadable PDF version of the Vasculitis Foundation’s guidebook Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey.
Steroids
Information for coping with the physical and mental health challenges of treatment with high doses of glucocorticoids.
Podcast Episode
Interview with Dr. Velma Mockett, an Alberta-based mental health practitioner and licensed psychotherapist with more than 15 years of experience in the field. Dr. Mockett counsels patients on the grief and loss associated with chronic illness and uses her own experience with vasculitis to inform her work. In this episode she discusses mental health grounding techniques, the patient experience, and destigmatizing emotion.
The Ride by Vasculitis Journey
The Ride provides a unique view of what it’s like to be a patient of a rare disease. It explores patient experiences with medication, the psychology of coping with a rare disease, and finding the humor in it all.
Patient Resources
There are some information of the new resources regardly Scleroderma.
Living with Scleroderma
Living well with scleroderma is all about taking charge. Educate yourself, connect with others, and take action. Your best path forward is the one you chart for yourself.
| Scleroderma | Vasculitis Foundation |
|---|---|
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It is estimated that about 300,00 American't have Scleroderma |
Vasculitis impacts a variety of different organ systems depending on which blood vessels are affected. This can lead to debilitating pain, weakness, and shortness of breath that can make it difficult or impossible to maintain normal levels of physical activity. |
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Scleroderma is not infectious, contagious, or malignant, the onset of the disease is most frequest in people between the ages of 25 to 55. |
Vasculitis is initially treated with high doses of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoids can impact mental health by increasing anxiety, depression, and irritability. Glucocorticoids also cause muscle wasting and loss of bone density. It is vitally important that people living with vasculitis stay as physically active as possible for both their physical and mental wellness. |
| Female patients outnumber male patients by about four to one. | Vasculitis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease with no known cure. A vasculitis diagnosis is life altering, and can negatively impact a person's sense of self. |
ATS Patient Information Series
The ATS Patient Information Series is a public service of the American Thoracic Society and its journal the AJRCCM (www.atsjournals.org). The information appearing in this series is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the medical advice of one's personal health care provider.
