Anna Nicole Smith had lupus?

I had a bunch of things I wanted to blog about today, but a friend emailed me about this and I pushed them all aside. Apparently, in case you haven't heard, a friend of the late Anna Nicole Smith is saying she confided in him she had lupus. That would explain her up-and-down weight -- prednisone, a steroid that damps down the immune system and is used short-term in lupus control, makes you bloat.

As someone whose spouse has the disease, I can tell you it is a baffling, difficult, lifelong disease that can be managed but not cured. I love my husband with all my heart, and I've told him if I could take his lupus from him, I would gladly take it on. His response: "I wouldn't let you take this."

I always felt bad for Anna Nicole. Now my sympathy has a new dimension. Anna, rest in peace. I hope you're not in pain wherever you are.

In case you're curious about lupus, here's a press release released about it in the wake of this news.