Events

Biking in the Mid-Atlantic

~ Jewel ~ Leave a comment

I’m writing today’s post from the comfort of a friend’s car. Our convoy of cars, trucks, and SUV with bike racks are headed north to Pittsburgh. This weekend we are going to ride a portion of the Great Allegheny Passage, starting from Pittsburgh, PA and ending in Cumberland, MD. The total distance will be around 150 miles and unfortunately it isn’t all flat! But hey, let’s live a little.

I started mountain biking around the same time I met my fiancé, in 2010. It’s a challenging yet rewarding activity I really love. Since moving to Maryland a few years back I haven’t been on a bike much, but that’s all changing since I purchased a new bike a few weeks ago. We took it out on some trails and had a blast. It is clear I will need some work before I feel completely comfortable and I’m also looking into taking a skills course to speed that process up. I need all the help I can get! If you’re interested in mountain biking only I have a blog dedicated to that. I’ll add that link below.

Road biking (this particular ride will be road and trail) isn’t something I’m all that familiar with, but that’s not to say I don’t like it. When the opportunity presented itself and we were invited I signed up immediately. This weekend will be the farthest I’ve ever rode-should I finish! I’m both enthralled and nervous. What if I get sick? What if I’m just too weak? What if I hate it!? I can’t help thinking like this, I’m hard wired.

Today we ride for about 6 1/2 hours to cover 65 miles. I really hope I make it and I also hope I’m not the last one. Wish me luck ya’ll, and maybe a prayer or two 😆.

I’ll be posting pics as I can! Have a great weekend!

Live.Love.Thrive.

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27th Annual Maryland Lupus Summit

~ Jewel ~ Leave a comment

The biggest lupus event of the year is here! On Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Lupus Foundation will present the 27th annual Lupus Summit for Maryland, in Baltimore. This event features a day of lectures, activities, and information for lupus patients and their families. The summit is free but registration is required; click here for details. The renowned Dr. Michelle Petri will be speaking first (at 9:00 am) and I would encourage anyone in Maryland interested in this event not to miss her talk on treatments for lupus.

For those who do not know, Dr. Petri is one of the leading lupus rheumatologists in the world. She is a Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She attended Harvard University for Medical School and currently serves as the Director of Johns Hopkins Lupus Center. At the Lupus Center she leads the research to better understand the relationship between systemic lupus erythematosus and morbidity and mortality. She published a study which linked vitamin D deficiency to lupus  patients which effectively determined all lupus patients must take vitamin D supplements, usually for the rest of their life. For more information on this study, click here.

In addition to the likes of Dr. Petri, the event will also host a series of other sessions which include but aren’t limited to: lupus and the skin, lupus and men, lifestyle and lupus, and tai chi, to name a few. Lunch will also be served but you need to pre-order when you register. The cost for the box lunch is $10.00. The deadline to order the box lunch is September 10, 2014. Pre-order the lunch here. Alternatively, you can  bring a bagged lunch; however, buying lunch at the event is not an option.

Registration is from 8:00-8:30 am

Summit is from 9:00 – 3:o0 pm

I hope to see you there!

LFA’s Lupus Education Seminar

~ Jewel ~ Leave a comment

I received word of an upcoming seminar on Lupus which will be held in Los Angeles, CA on June 28, 2014 by the Lupus Foundation of America. Sadly, being all the way in Baltimore, I unfortunately can’t attend. Please help spread the word; I’ve listed the information for the event below and the link to RSVP. If you have any questions, please contact Laurie Gray of the Lupus Foundation. Space is limited so if you’re interested get your tickets now.

Courtesy of Lupus Foundation of America

 

Our speakers will be Dr. Maureen A. McMahon, Rheumatologist at UCLA Medical Center and Jeanne Melvin from Solutions for Wellness.  Maureen and Jeanne will be speaking on the topics of lupus treatments, living with lupus, and .improving sleep by managing fatigue and pain. In addition there will be a Q&A session. 

The event is free but parking is $6 and carpooling is encouraged. For more information and to RSVP please visit here.

Photo: © 2014 Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.