When someone has a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with vasculitis, that person might not know what to say or what to do. Delesha Carpenter, PhD, MSPH helps friends of vasculitis patients understand what it is like to live with the disease in this two-part podcast featuring Dr. Ron Falk, UNC Kidney Center Director and Dianne Shaw, Past President of the Vasculitis Foundation and vasculitis patient. Dr. Carpenter is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at UNC Chapel Hill.
In Part One, “Understanding Vasculitis and How it May Affect Your Friend,” Dr. Carpenter asks Dr. Falk some basic questions about vasculitis and what people with the disease typically experience. In Part Two, “Ways You Can Maintain a Healthy Friendship,” Dr. Carpenter talks with Dianne Shaw about some specific ways that friends can help maintain a healthy friendship with someone who has vasculitis.
Part One: Understanding Vasculitis and How it May Affect Your Friend
(16 minutes 53 seconds)
- Part One: Full-Length Track
- What is vasculitis?: A brief overview
- How are people affected physically, mentally and emotionally by vasculitis?
- How do medications affect the body?
- What kinds of vaccines do friends need?
- How do vasculitis and treatment affect someone’s appearance?
- Do medications cause mood swings in patients?
- Do vasculitis patients need to take medications for the rest of their lives?
Part Two: Ways You Can Maintain a Healthy Friendship
(15 minutes 25 seconds)
- Part Two: Full-Length Track
- What should you say to your friend who has just been diagnosed?
- What can friends do to help people who are having a flare?
- How can friends know when to reach out?
- What are some vasculitis-friendly activities that friends can do together?
- What are some strategies for restructuring your activities with your friend?
- How can you be there for your friend who is depressed?
- What are some ways that friends can help vasculitis patients in a social setting?
- Should friends make comments on changes in appearance?
- Parting words of advice from Dianne