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Mercedes Giveaway First Early Bird Drawing Just 9 DAYS AWAY!
You can win. You can win a cruise. A shopping spree. And of course, the grand prize, a 2014 Mercedes-Benz!  Click Here to learn more and find out how to get your tickets.
Tickets are $75 per ticket, $200 for 3, or $300 for 5 tickets.
Two early birds: buy your tickets early to get a shot at also winning:
A cruise (drawing on December 16!)
A shopping spree
And you can do it all while helping keep alive critical programs for patients and a highly functional information hub for lupus alive.
Get your tickets now.
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LFNC News
Youth support group, "The Hangout", to meet on Saturday, December 14. See details here.
Marin lupus support group to hold its monthly meeting on Saturday, December 21, at the Main Conference Room, 30 San Pedro Road, San Rafael. Contact Marilyn Wedner for assistance or details at mwedner@att.net or at 415-383-1924.
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Information contained in this e-Newsletter should not be considered a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or management of S.L.E. and symptoms by a physician.
Missed a previous issue of this e-Newsletter?
You can now view our ARCHIVES.
Editor: Spandan Chakrabarti
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Connect with us on
via "Lupus Online"
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LFNC is an active partner in
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LFNC's Social Media Program is funded through a generous grant from THE HENRY L. GUENTHER FOUNDATION GEORGE H. SANDY FOUNDATION GLAXOSMITHKLINE |
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You are receiving this newsletter because you have subscribed or have participated in our programs or events. We respect your time and privacy. If you prefer not to continue receiving the newsletter, you can click on the "safe unsubscribe" button below. We hope, however, that you will opt to remain on our newsletter list for important information and life-saving tips that you or someone you know may benefit from now or in the future.
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Plaquenil's Risk to Eye Care
 Lupus patients are often treated with the anti-malarial drug Plaquenil. But what dosage of the drug is considered "safe" has come under scrutiny lately, particularly by eye care professionals. These professionals have called for more precise dosing in Plaquenil prescriptions, and tailoring such dosage better to the patient, pointing out its potential adverse effect on retinal health.
In an article published on EyeUpdate.com, eye care professionals point to the risk factors:
- Daily dosage of HCQ exceeding 6.5mg/kg (that is, a daily dosage not to exceed 400mg in patients having a lean body weight of < 135lbs.)
- Obesity. We stress here that HCQ is not absorbed into adipose tissue. This means that an obese person who weighs 160lbs may be considered within the "safe" zone, but their lean body weight may be only 120lbs, which poses an increased relative risk. We have communicated this critical issue of lean body weight to our referring rheumatologists and dermatologists, and have asked them to assess the lean body weight of each of their HCQ patients and make this information known to us, so that we can more accurately assess the risk for retinotoxicity. [...]
- Duration of use longer than 5 years. [...]
- Renal or hepatic functional impairment. Compromised kidney and/or liver function can lead to increased accumulation of HCQ in the tissues, so that the health status of these organs should be assessed by the prescribing physician.
- Age >60 years. "Patients older than 60 years, and with a duration of treatment greater than five years appear to be at greater risk for retinal toxicity."
- Preexisting retinal disease. [...]
Read more here. As always, our reference of this article is for informational purposes only, and only your physician can determine a safe dosage for you if you are on Plaquenil. Please talk to your rheumatologist as well as your eye care professional if you are concerned about Plaquenil's effect on your vision.
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California's Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicaid Expansion: A Primer and Workshop - TOMORROW at 6:30
The Lupus Foundation of Northern California is proud to present a primer and workshop on California's implementation of health care reform, and on your new health insurance options, including Medi-Cal expansion.
Learn the ropes on health care reform with:
Tonya York
Covered CA Enrollment Educator and Independent Insurance Agent
When: Tuesday, December 10, 2013. 6:30 pm
Where: Sullivan Hall at St. Maria Goretti Parish, 2980 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95111
The LFNC wishes to thank the St. Maria Goretti Parish for hosting this event.
RSVP: communications@lfnc.org or call 408-954-8600 (event is free to attend)
Learn about:
- The Affordable Care Act: the law, regulations, and timelines related to the exchanges
- Types of plans (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), and coverage and cost sharing at each level
- Medicaid expansion, subsidies, eligibility and process to sign up
This free event is made possible through a partnership with:
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3x Thank You, Google!
LFNC at Google on December 3, 2013
The Lupus Foundation of Northern California thanks and congratulates Google on its giving spirit. Last week, Google's Mountain View campus welcomed a non-profit each day to set up shop and raise money from Google employees. Each dollar donated was then matched 3x by Google and individual Google executives. $10 donations turned into $30 for LFNC, $50 into $150, and so forth.
LFNC was fortunate to be the charity of choice on Tuesday, December 3. Google's generous employees surpassed the goal of $5,000 - this means that with Google's 3x match, we have raised more than $15,000 for critically needed patient services, education, awareness and research support for lupus.
We thank each employee who donated, we thank our chairman Jay Remley for his generosity and for arranging to make this day happen, and of course, Google for its match. Google has just made the holidays a better season for lupus patients and their families in Northern California.
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