Autoimmune Life Blog

"I was 18 and an undergraduate at the University of Washington. I was a member of the women’s rowing team and majoring in public health at the same time I was learning how to manage this new disease."

We survive with modern medicine. It has to be said. Peter and his squad of bad-ass dia-buddies are blessed with insulin, technology and care that have changed what it means to live with Type 1 Diabetes. And, they have reason to hope that the future will bring even better tools and outcomes.

Frequent urination, dry mouth and unexplained weight loss are common symptoms of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Also called juvenile diabetes, T1D affects nearly one million Americans and usually occurs in children or young adults.

A microbiome is a collection of microorganisms that create a “mini-ecosystem” – and there are 100 trillion bacteria inside your intestinal tract! Many gastrointestinal (GI) bacteria live in the gut and help with digestion.

Lupus, also known as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or SLE, is a complex disease that can be difficult to diagnose. It affects many areas of body including the joints, skin and kidneys. More than 200,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with lupus each year.

With the help of generous volunteers, BRI scientists have been able to move autoimmune and immune-mediated disease research forward.

Whether kicking off a new school year or returning to school after a new diagnosis, one of the best ways to ensure your child is safe and supported at school is to help the people around them understand Type 1 diabetes.

My son Peter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just before his third birthday. At the time, he was in the stretch run of potty training. Incentivised with M&M’s, Peter was using the toilet more and more frequently. He was also insatiably thirsty.

For Bernard Khor, MD, PhD, scientific research has a distinct connection with another one of his passions: food. “Part of the reason I like food is that I think chefs have a lot in common with scientists,” he says.

We started this blog to bring more awareness and understanding of autoimmune disease, which is so common, yet often so misunderstood. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, only 13 percent of Americans can name one autoimmune disease!