I just sent this message to EllenTV. Their new website is easier for this than the old one.
Dear Ellen,
I know that you help people that are facing unbelievable challenges in their lives. And you take on a cause that society often over looks like bullying. After watching your show for a couple of years as I was recording it for my wife (so I see it twice) I thought I would ask you to use your star power to help an invisible percentage of the population with Auto Immune (AI) diseases.
"But you don't look sick" is one of the common phrases that we hear from family, friends and strangers. I know of about 63 of these diseases and most do not show until you are in the end stages of your life. You may know some of these like Fibromyalgia, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy. There are a lot that people that have not heard of one of the ones I have which is called "Sjogren's Syndrome" or "Sicca".
I have been reading a number of the web forums related to these sites and my heart and I hope yours will go out to the younger people that are being diagnosed with these diseases. Often these posts are by single mothers with no source of income. I think that in your position as the premier talk show host you can do a lot to increase awareness of these illnesses.
Just one more comment before I provide your staff with some reference material. Most people do not have just one AI disease, they have multiple autoimmune diseases and this makes it harder to manage and diagnose.
I have had bad reactions to traditional medicine and I use complementary alternative therapies. If your staff wishes to contact me for more information, I can be reached at my cell: ###-###-#### or by my email: **********@***.*** or Street address, City, MN Zip
Sincerely, Joe S.
References:
https://sjogrensworld.org/ The forum that I spoke of.
http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory-written-by-christine-miserandino/ Insight into how we can plan our day.
I for got to say that other letters should be individual but maybe we should do an email campaign? What do you think?
Joe, that is so awesome that you did that!
March on you AI Warrior!
And yes, the more we write, the more people will know and eventually come to understand. No one will have the heart to push awareness like we will. Everyone has their battles and the loudest bird in the nest gets the worm.
We need more research, we need better criteria, we need more understanding and knowledgable doctors, we need more help paying for our OTC products, we need better medicine to help us, WE NEED MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW! This isn't just a "dry eye" syndrome.
I think about how many years of my life I spent on feeling like I was inadequate and lazy. I had no understanding of fatigue and what would cause it. I just felt like I should be able to keep up with the other folks for as long as they were doing it. Now I know what's going on and I feel better about me.
I can't help but want to cry for those folks out there, living with this in their bodies and feeling the same way, depressed, always behind, feeling like less. And they have no idea they are sick with it and won't even guess they have it because they don't have dry eyes or a dry mouth (or they do and just have nothing to compare it to as they know no difference).
Call, write, whatever! Go get that worm!
Because I have procreated, and I am sure my children will too - I know that whatever I do know to help the AI cause, will help my future babies. I certainly don't want this for them and the fear that runs deep with this disease. I know the odds are in my favor, as many here will remind me, but no one really knows what's in store even in a normal state of health. When you have something like this, it does alter the odds a bit more.
What you did was a good and generous thing. My hope is it will do something to help. The more letters, the better the odds that will indeed happen.
Thank you, Joe.
You could almost send your post for your letter. By the way, have you sent your letter?
I have sent a few ;)
I'm working a different angle right now though - with some good results, thankfully.
Thank you!
Joe, this is GREAT! I love it and will be writing a letter tomorrow. WONDERFUL!
Gayle
Thank you.