Turning White: A Memoir of Change Review

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Turning White: A Memoir of Change ReviewLee Thomas' account of pursuing his "dream" career in TV is an easy and interesting read. His story is mostly about how he has dealt with the cosmetic and emotional aspects of discovering he has an autoimmune disease -- VITILIGO -- being a man-of-color (African American), and pursuing a career in a visual media -- TV.
What I most liked about his story was his realization about how the culmination of his poor diet / nutrition and hectic / stressful lifestyle were probably centrally involved -- and at the very least -- the contributing factors that provided the "environmental trigger" (my words) for vitiligo to present itself. He describes that after years of seeing traditional doctors and trying all the latest treatments it was with the help of a naturopath and nutritionist guiding him that he is now eating a mostly vegetarian diet that includes lean fish and organic eggs. He attributes this holistic approach to improving his overall health and perhaps even some pigment returning. He does take supplements but did not identify which ones.
Mr. Thomas explains that there are a theories about vitiligo perhaps being a genetic disease - that some believe it is and that others don't. He may not have known about recent vitiligo research when his book went to publication, but researchers from the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC) have discovered a connection between a NALP1 gene and vitiligo. The NALP1 gene is involved in controlling part of the immune system that monitors viral and bacterial attacks and is the key gene that predisposes someone to vitiligo and other autoimmune diseases. "This part of the immune system may respond to triggers coming from the environment, like bacteria or viruses, and there are indications that you can turn it off. So, we're very, very hopeful that there may be drugs that allow us to do that," said the study's senior author, Dr. Richard A. Spritz

Mr. Thomas explains that he doesn't know why he has vitiligo since no one else in his family has it. Because of the NALP1 discovery we now know that we are born with a genetic predisposition to AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE and some type of "trigger" -- a virus, bacterial infection....stress?? -- allows vitiligo to present itself.He mentions that the doctor that diagnosed his vitiligo mentioned that stress could be a trigger for vitiligo and the way he describes his early years in the TV industry...well I'm pretty sure that "stress" MUST have been his trigger.

I often refer to Autoimmune Disease as an umbrella term over many autoimmune symptoms that manifest into different disease categories -- like vitiligo, Crohn's, psoriasis...etc. I was disappointed that he did not emphasize that vitiligo is just one (visual) symptom of AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE -- but he and his doctors may not think of vitiligo in this way.
Mr. Thomas does relate how, because of a persistent back ache, he discovered he also has Crohn's disease -- another member of the AUTOIMMUNE FAMILY. He wasn't sure if the two are connected, but my understanding is that they are. If you are predisposed, someone can have multiple autoimmune diseases and it looks like Mr. Thomas has two - vitiligo and Crohn's. (Someone needs to tell him about how "Low Dose Naltrexone" -- LDN therapy is helping Crohn's patients. And it may help his vitiligo too. )

When I finished the book I just had the sense that Mr. Thomas doesn't see the "big picture" the way I do -- that vitiligo is just one symptom in AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE -- but maybe that was intentional on his part. --??-- I think he wanted people to know that if you have vitiligo, that you will be OK...that there are worse things.I really hope that anyone who reads this book doesn't finish it thinking that vitiligo is just a cosmetic disease -- for which there is no cure, just treatments -- and that is not a terminal disease. And this is all true -- if the PROGRESSION of the autoimmune disease stops at vitiligo.

All-in-all...I REALLY enjoyed this book. This book wasn't meant to be specifically about vitiligo or autoimmune disease -- it's Lee Thomas' story on how vitiligo has affected his life....the worries and the blessings. It's about how when we reach out to someone...how it can change their lives. Like the young boy with vitiligo who asked Lee to tell his story because then people might treat him differently if they understood what vitiligo was. This young boy described an even younger boy who has vitiligo on his face and wears a mask to hide it. It's about how some people seem just naturally generous and kind...his retelling of an interview that he had with the actor Dustin Hoffman really had my heart swelling. (Read the book and you'll see why.) It's about developing and maintaining positivity around yourself even though you have an incurable disease.

I have autoimmune disease -- and one of my symptoms is vitiligo... I have others. And just like Lee Thomas -- I am the only member of my family to have vitiligo.
For current vitiligo research information and support visit: [...]
Turning White: A Memoir of Change OverviewIn his thought-provoking memoir, Turning White, Emmy Award-winning TV broadcaster Lee Thomas shares the physical and mental battle he is waging with vitiligo a skin disorder that is literally turning him white.At age 25, Thomas had a dream job in a dream city as a feature/entertainmentreporter for the ABC networks flagship TV station in New York. Then he discovered a few white spots on his scalp, the small beginnings of a disease that has spread to half his face -- a fact he covers with makeup when on camera.As someone in the very public eye, vitiligo has transformed not only Thomas' color, but his life."Even people who have known me for years avoid eye contact when they see my face without makeup for the first time,"he writes.Recently, Thomas turned the spotlight on himself during a special report for WJBK FOX 2 Detroit, where he is currently an entertainment reporter.In Turning White, Thomas shares his journey to help people understand vitiligo, and to help others cope with the psychological war that comes from this life-changing disease.

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