• Join
  • The VF is donor and member supported.  Please help keep this valuable organization funded by donations, bequests, and memorial gifts.
  • Membership will get you the bi-monthly VF newsletter.  The annual dues are $US 25 (domestic) or $US 30 (foreign).
  • Each newsletter carries a list of contact persons for various locations.
  • You can join by phone, e-mail, or on the VF web page.  See above address information.
    • Persons unable to afford the annual dues can request the newsletter to be supplied at no cost.
• Donate
• Donations can be mailed in or made on line at the VF web page at http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/donate
• Bequests
• Bequests are welcome and needed.  Types of bequest are various.
• You can give almost any kind of asset to the Vasculitis Foundation through a bequest, including cash, securities, an interest in real estate (such as a residence), tangible personal property (such as works of art or antiques) or the remainder of your IRA, Keogh, tax-sheltered annuity, qualified pension or profit-sharing plan.
• Ask your attorney about your bequest options, such as specific bequests, residuary bequests, testamentary trusts and Q-Tip trusts.
• Reading list
• Click here for a "Reading List"� slightly expanded from the VF list..
• Research Consortium
• Register to the Vasculitis Clinical Research Consortium (VCRC) at http://www.rarediseasesnetwork.org/vcrc/index.htm
• Services
• Enroll eligible vasculitis patients in clinical trials.  The advantages of a clinical trial are:
• The patient may receive the latest medications as part of the care.
• The patient will receive medications at no cost
• The patient are followed very carefully by physicians expert in their specialties.
• Enrolling in a clinical study will further the understanding of AVs and various treatments.
• Provide statistical information on disease frequency and distribution.
• Provide the latest thinking on treatment options.
• Contact patients
• Local support
  • Local support groups exist in many areas and some countries outside of the U.S.A.            
    • The VF web page has a map of the U.S. at http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/support
    • On the same web page just above the map are links to lists of domestic and foreign area contacts.
• Email groups
  • A number of email groups provide for support and information to vasculitis patients.  Many can be found by searching Yahoo and MSN groups.  There may be many other listserv and majordomo supported groups that don't appear on those searches.
  • To access Yahoo email groups, go to http://health.dir.groups.yahoo.com/dir/Health___Wellness
    • Search for the particular group subject. 
    • When the search results come up, sign in if you haven't already done so, then click on the name of the group you want. 
    • When the group page comes up, click on "Join This Group".
    • For moderated groups, contact the group owner shown on the Yahoo Group page for that group.
  • Click here for a list of vasculitis and selected autoimmune email groups,
  • Click here to view guidelines for using email groups and newsgroups.
  • Click here to download an M/S Word file with an email this web page owner sometimes sends to those newly involved with an autoimmune vasculitis.
• Blogs and Social Networks
  • Click here to go to the MySpace health/wellness/fitness page.
    • Search for your kind of vasculitis or all vasculitis.
    • The members on those blogs may not all be AV patients or carers.
  • Click here to go to the "FACEBOOK" web page.  You have to be a member, and to know whose page you want to see.
  • If you post to blogs, be sure to remain anonymous (no last names, addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc.)
• Chats
  • Internet relay chat (IRC) channels are available or can be created on any subject.  Consult publications or internet information on IRC for details.
  • A client program is needed to be downloaded and installed on your computer to use IRC.
    • PC's can use mIRC, downloaded from the mIRC home page at http://www.mirc.com/
    • Mac users can use IRCLE which may not be available as it is unsupported.
  • Web-based chats
  • http://www.churgychums.co.nr for Churg-Strauss syndrome
  • www.pansupport.org  Polyarteritis nodosa patients.  Click on "JOIN"�, then click on "Chat".
  • Software exists to allow one-on-one or group video conferencing.            
    • You have to have the addresses of those to whom you wish to speak and either an agreed time and date to meet, or all parties must have instant messaging.
• Video  (To be added later)

THIS SITE

• Intent
  • To assist vasculitis patients in getting early diagnoses, effective treatments, and to advise of patient, organization, and scientific resources concerning vasculitis.
• Sources Used
  • The following information is derived from a variety of sources over some ten+ years and is not to be considered as medical advice, but merely the opinions or experiences or findings of the writer who is not a physician and has no medical training.
  • Much comes from Medline abstracts and medical journal articles on vasculitis.  Some is from autoimmune vasculitis patients and carers, some from newsgroups,  internet web pages, etc. that also deal with vasculitis.
  • The compiler has attempted to use only recent valid medical information regarding vasculitis, but cannot guarantee the validity nor the currency in every case
• Limitations
  • No medical decisions should be made on the basis of information on this web page or on associated linked documents and web pages unless those are from a recognized medical professional or professional medical publication.
  • Limits to this web page concerning vasculitis:
    • The author/compiler/editor of this web page and related pages has had NO medical training.
    • Only autoimmune vasculitides will be considered, not hypersensitivity vasculitis nor vasculitis as a result of an allergic reaction to medication or vaccine..
    • Most sections apply to most autoimmune vasculitides.
      • One refers specifically to Wegener’s granulomatosis.
• Terminology
  • Some abbreviations and equivalencies are:
    • Hereafter, “autoimmune vasculitis” may be abbreviated “AV” or “AVs” for plural.
    • The term “Prednisone” is sometimes used where it or a similar glucocorticoid might be prescribed to treat vasculitis.
    • “Immunosuppressives” used to  treat vasculitis are sometimes abbreviated “ISs”.
• Updates
  • This update was on June 1, 2009 and is a complete rewrite of the former web page at http://www.wegenersgranulomatosis.net that also dealt with vasculitis.
• Files & links – Vasculitis related.
  • Click here to view a web page listing all the links and files from this page.
• Tables & Figures – Vasculitis related
  • Click here to view a listing of the tables and figures in this web page.
• Disclaimer
  • ALL MEDICAL QUESTIONS, SYMPTOMS, CONCERNS AND PROBLEMS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO APROPRIATE LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS.
  • The writer/editor/compiler does not vouch for the accuracy, completeness, nor applicability of the information included on this site to any person, whether a vasculitis patient or otherwise. 

Vasculitis-Patient.com