Attending a Support Group in LA
by Alexis Markowitz
“If I can help someone else cope, it’s a good day.”
“The last thing I wanted to do last night was attend the support group. Working up the will to go is so hard…I always need to talk myself into it. In the mornings it’s a huge challenge to even get out of bed. Everything is sore and achy: my back, my neck, my shoulders, my hands. I am so tired and move at a snail’s pace. Every day, the same thing; I feel like I am going in circles. I have to schedule 10 hours a night now just for sleeping. So frustrated. And nauseous every day from my meds. Sometimes it’s all too much.
But…I push myself to go to the support group…and miraculously I feel better afterwards, mostly because I always meet a new patient who has just been diagnosed and needs a shoulder to lean on. Being in the dark about the diagnosis is so scary—I know I was terrified three years ago when I got the news, and being able to share my frustrations and fears with those who also go through this experience brought and continues to bring me solace. I just hope I can offer that same comfort to someone else.
A support group member gets a makeover at “Beauty Night.”
And then last night, “Beauty Night” actually ended up being very fun…a nice break from the same old, same old. It gave us the chance to be silly and girly. It felt uplifting to do something positive, something lighthearted, something that reminded us of how lupus doesn’t have to be a death sentence.”
The Lupus LA UCLA Support Group meets the First Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm. We meet in the UCLA Rheumatology – Rehabilitation Center Building, in the 3rd floor library, at 1000 Veteran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024. We would love for you join us! Come to learn coping strategies, get advice, and talk with other people affected by lupus. The support groups are free and open to the public, and we provide parking validations.
UCLA Support Group
First Tuesday of the month
From 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
Rheumatology – Rehabilitation Center Building
3rd Floor – Library
1000 Veteran Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024
For more information about the support groups, please contact Lupus LA at (310) 657-5667, email info@lupusla.org, or visit lupusla.org/supportgroups.
Please click here for the link that will take you to the monthly calendar that lists when and where our monthly support groups meet.
