On Saturday, December 4, 2010 the North Carolina/Raleigh Vasculitis Support Group, a chapter of the Vasculitis Foundation, met at the John Hope Franklin Center in Durham. There were 45 attending, including 24 vasculitis patients.
The meeting speaker was Dr. Patrick Nachman, Professor of Medicine in the UNC Kidney Center. Dr. Nachman is a vasculitis physician/scientist. He talked with us about “Understanding Lab Tests for People with Vasculitis.” We all know how confusing it can be to try to interpret and understand the significance of specific laboratory tests, and we appreciated Dr. Nachman’s ability to explain the tests in a way that we could understand their use and meaning. We took great advantage of the opportunity to ask questions.
Following Dr. Nachman’s talk, Support Group member Dianne Shaw updated us on the Vasculitis Foundation’s planned 2011 Regional Patient and Family Symposium on Leading Edge Research and Strategies for Living with Vasculitis. This will be held in Chapel Hill on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Our Chapter will be hosting this symposium.
While the symposium is targeted towards regional participation from patients and families, the faculty for this meeting is worldwide, drawing on not only the expertise of Duke and UNC physicians and other experts, but also a panel including some of the world’s leading vasculitis physician/scientists who will offer their insights into research progress and direction.
NC Fun Ride organizer Danette Anderson gave us an update on the next fun ride scheduled for Saturday, April 2, 2011 in Graham, NC. This will be the 10th year of this important fundraiser for the Vasculitis Foundation. The goal is to bring the 10 year total to over $100,000 for vasculitis education, awareness and research.
We enjoyed talking with each other and sharing experiences. If you or someone you know is interested in participating in our group, please feel free to contact Elaine Holmes, Chapter Leader: eholmes18@nc.rr.com
- Dr. Nachman speaks to Vasculitis Support Group
