Selena Gomez is putting her health first.
The 21-year-old released a statement last week, vowing to “spend time" on herself and Popdust can exclusively report she has done so to deal with health issues related to Lupus.
Sources close to the singer tell Popdust that Selena was diagnosed with Lupus a couple of years ago and that she has suffered multiple “flares” recently, causing facial swelling, extreme fatigue, headaches and joint pain.
“Selena has been going full throttle the past few years and her Lupus is really catching up with her right now,” one source says.
“She knows that she needs to take some time to address the disease and look after herself better if she wants to live a full and healthy life."
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, meaning the immune system attacks the body’s cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage. It commonly shows as a red rash on the face and causes joint pain, damage to organs and the nervous system, fatigue, fever, headaches and temporary loss of cognitive skills.
It’s more prevalent in African American, Hispanic, Native American and Asian women, age 15-35, and affects sufferers intermittently, with periods of illness alternating with remissions—Lupus sufferers often try to keep out of direct sunlight as sunshine can exacerbate the disease.
It is incurable but treatable with 80-90 percent of sufferers expecting to live a normal lifespan.
Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Seal and Nick Cannon are amongst other celebrity sufferers.
Selena's rep declined to comment despite multiple requests.
To find out more about the disease and to donate towards research go to the Lupus Foundation of America.
From Your Site Articles
Today's youth doesn't understand the joy that came with shredding on a plastic guitar.
As Guitar Hero became a global phenomenon, groups of friends spent countless after school hours trying to conquer complex offerings from Van Halen, Metallica, Buckethead, Slayer, and the Charlie Daniels Band. The next day, they'd regale their peers with their efforts, as one friend would chime in and say he knows a guy's cousin who allegedly scored 100% on DragonForce's elusive "Through the Fire and Flames" on "expert" difficulty.
<p>While music games feel like a nostalgic relic of the past, they actually have a rich (albeit strange) history. Long before <em>Dance Dance Revolution</em> spawned a cultural craze and catapulted bizarre music games into the mainstream, the indie music games of yore were a special kind of silliness. </p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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Michael Jackson's Moonwalker
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e4ec17d42433b32aa057463532e4103c"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z3SpHXSpM98?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Loosely based on the odd 1988 film of the same name, The King of Pop rescued kidnapped children from the evil Dr. Big and kicked some syncopated musical ass along the way. (Alleged) <a href="https://www.popdust.com/finding-neverland-pulled-popdust-opinion-2634235057.html" target="_self"> irony aside</a>... The SEGA side-scrolling beat-em-up game was launched on computer and arcade consoles–and actually possessed a lot of charm.</p><p>The game was soaked in Jackson jams, and Bubbles the Chimpanzee even made multiple cameos throughout the game, aiding MJ by sometimes transforming him into a robot with higher health and laser eyes. The only downside of this game was that MJ didn't do any slick karate; alas, he relied instead on magical powers. </p>Rock and Roll Racing
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="20e34b12bf2ccb04d97aad487793f58b"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HtUqEI12TFw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>With a ludicrous premise that spawned a cult following, 1993's Rock and Roll Racing was one of the earliest efforts in competitive multiplayer games. The game pits four racers against each other, with each armed to the teeth. The racers get four laps around various courses, all while mega-hype rock tracks like "Born to Be Wild" play in the background. As strange as it was, the game was so successful that it spawned a sequel.</p>Revolution X
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8b5e413830bdab21a9615a7b191cbb8b"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FD6i979WKwM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The New Order regime and their vile leader, Helga, have kidnapped Aerosmith! Armed with nothing but a big gun, only you can save Steve Tyler and the gang from certain doom! The insane arcade shooter used Aerosmith more as a throwaway plot point than anything else, as the game's soundtrack merely recycled "Eat The Rich," "Sweet Emotion," "Toys in the Attic," and "Walk This Way," and the shoot-em-up style gameplay is mind-numbing yet entertaining. But if you saved the gang from certain doom, you could party with them at the end of the game, and that was something, I guess.</p>PaRappa The Rapper
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="20fc6eb0e3582cb40f281a49bf94734e"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RMUX6b82Zbc?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>A game that should be cited as a huge inspiration for the music games that came after it, the odd Japanese PSone title had players break it down by pressing buttons in a certain, timely order. The songs were catchy, and almost anyone can pick it up and enjoy. The game is regularly cited as one of the best of all time; with surprisingly versatile game dynamics and a kooky cast of characters, PaRappa The Rapper is nothing but good vibes for the whole family.</p>Def Jam Vendetta
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1ecfe679bd2cf04e7a5132ade436e176"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qoSs8vMIBM8?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>While nostalgic gaming fans will undoubtedly cite <em>Dem Jam: Fight for N</em>Y as the superior entry in the series, <em>Def Jam Vendetta</em> was a historical moment for rap fans, as it was the first to feature cameos from legendary rap artists. Combining rap with pro wrestling, the fighting game received rave reviews and was praised for its detail. Its soundtrack was one of gaming's best, and with the ability to play as legendary rappers like Method Man, DMX, Joe Budden, and Scarface, it served as a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.</p>DJ Hero
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="d3e2662a9735c3a76bda3fb58110ac4d"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W1jOWYGZ9As?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The first major spinoff from <em>Guitar Hero</em>, <em>DJ Hero</em> was oddly not like the former at all. With a plastic turntable, players could become a scratch DJ and experiment with legendary songs from DJ Shadow, Grandmaster Flash, and even Daft Punk. But as good as the game was, it unfortunately didn't sell well due to a collective waning interest in music video games. DJ Hero served as a preview of where the genre could have gone had it not fizzled out. Today, with Hip-Hop and EDM popularity at an all-time high, DJ Hero inevitably feels like a tragic, missed opportunity.</p>From Your Site Articles
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Culture Feature
Mass Hysterectomies at Immigrant Detention Center? Here Are the Facts.
Whistleblower files official complaint on disturbing conditions at Georgia detention center.
09.16.2020
Dawn Wooten surrounded by the text of her complaint
Alexandra Ivey
A whistleblower who worked as a nurse at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Georgia has come forward with a claim that immigrants are facing serious medical neglect in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic—as well as an unusually high rate of hysterectomies.
The whistleblower is Dawn Wooten LPN. She has worked at the facility for three years as a licensed practical nurse, and has over 10 years of experience working as a nurse in prisons. She originally worked full time at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Ocilla, Georgia but was demoted to an on-call position in mid-July after repeatedly complaining to staff leadership about the dangerous working conditions. Irwin is a private prison which houses immigrants detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is run by LaSalle Corrections, a private company that runs immigration detention facilities in Georgia, Texas, and Louisiana.
<p>The <a href="https://whistleblower.org/press-release/press-release-whistleblowing-nurse-from-detention-center-in-georgia-reports-unsafe-practices-that-promote-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-ice-detention/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Government Accountability Project</a> and <a href="https://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OIG-ICDC-Complaint-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Project South</a> have filed complaints with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General on Wooten's behalf. The complaints detail the alleged abuses she witnessed while working at the facility. The majority of Wooten's complaints have to do with a grave mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also speak to a pattern of medical neglect and raise concerns about hysterectomies performed on detainees.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-633"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent1 - mid_content --></p><p>The complaint states that the private facility has willfully disregarded the CDC's COVID-19 guidelines. Wooten claims that the facility has repeatedly refused to properly treat or test symptomatic detainees and has failed to enforce any sort of social distancing with detainees who have confirmed or suspected cases. The treatment of the staff is no exception. They allegedly have not been provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and have been required to work even if they are symptomatic. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-634"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent11 - mid_content --></p><p><!-- Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph -->
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<!-- End Ezoic - under_second_paragraph - under_second_paragraph --><p></p><p>Wooten claims that the number of cases at the facility has been underreported. According to ICE, 31 people detained at Irwin have tested positive for Covid-19. Wooten told <em>T</em><a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/09/14/ice-detention-center-nurse-whistleblower/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>he Intercept</em></a> that at least 50 detainees and 15 staff had tested positive as of July, when she was demoted, based on the number of people she personally knew who had tested positive. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-635"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent2 - long_content --></p><p>Negligent medical care was apparently common even before the pandemic. According to Wooten, it was common practice for the sick call nurse to shred medical request forms from detained immigrants who were requesting to go to the medical unit. Sometimes the nurses even fabricated records such as vital signs without ever seeing the individual requesting medical help. Many of the detainees reported long wait times for medical requests due to these types of practices, and sometimes they weren't seen at all.</p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM5MDU2NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDkyMTI2OH0.04moFUjZhbUo6k0BAQ5YcNQzIbtpR98EDEIYXn0_Qn4/img.jpg?width=980" id="57ac3" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ac8e8b8a724e683361334054d9f7df5c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt='Nurse Dawn Wooten standing with protesters who have signs that say things like "Abolish ICE"'>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Dawn Wooten LPC speaks out with the support of local protesters.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Jenni Girtman</small></p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-636"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent22 - long_content --></p><p><br></p><p>Wooten's accounts of these dangerous conditions and medical neglect have been supported by dozens of interviews with current detainees in the facility which were included in the Project South <a href="https://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OIG-ICDC-Complaint-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">complaint</a>. They have also been corroborated by another member of the medical staff who chose to remain anonymous but interviewed with <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/09/14/ice-detention-center-nurse-whistleblower/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Intercept</em></a>.</p><p>The most shocking portion of the complaint details the high rate of hysterectomies happening within the facility. A detained immigrant told Project South that she talked to five different women detained at Irwin between October and December 2019 who had hysterectomies done. When asked about the surgery, the women seemed confused and were unable to explain why the procedure was needed.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-637"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent3 - longer_content --></p><p>A hysterectomy is the removal of a woman's uterus. In some cases, such as uterine cancer, it is a necessary procedure. However, in most other cases, hysterectomies are done to improve a woman's life, not to save her life, as it can relieve pain, discomfort, or heavy bleeding, but there are often <a href="https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1421.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">other</a> ways of treating or dealing with these problems. That being said, hysterectomies are very common. In fact, 1 in 3 women in the United States has one by age 60, according to the CDC.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-638"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent33 - longer_content --></p><p>Wooten expressed concern that while some women have heavy menstruation or other severe issues that would require hysterectomies, "everybody's uterus cannot be that bad." Wooten explained that a specific offsite doctor seems to be administering an abnormally high rate of hysterectomies, stating "Everybody he sees has a hysterectomy—just about everybody." </p><p>She also stated that other nurses have marveled at the problem amongst themselves, saying things like, "That's his specialty, he's the uterus collector." The complaint does not specify an estimate of the total number of hysterectomies, just that they are occurring at an unusually high rate. </p><p><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
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<!-- End Ezoic - incontent4 - longest_content --></p><p>The report is particularly concerning because it doesn't seem that the women receiving the major surgery know what they are getting or why. Wooten stated that the sick call nurse tries to communicate with the detained immigrants in Spanish by simply "googling Spanish" instead of using the <a href="https://www.languageline.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LanguageLine</a> that healthcare professionals are supposed to use. </p><p>One female detainee claims she was told by three different people that three different things were going to happen. She was originally told by the off-site doctor that she had an ovarian cyst and was going to have a small twenty-minute procedure done, involving drilling three small holes in her stomach to drain the cyst. The officer who was transporting her to the hospital told her that she was receiving a hysterectomy. When the hospital refused to operate on her because her COVID-19 test came back positive for antibodies, she was transferred back to Irwin, where the nurse said that the procedure she was going to have done entailed dilating her vagina and scraping tissue off. She reported feeling frightened and angry, saying it "felt like they were trying to mess with my body." </p><p><br></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDM5MTU2NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NjQyMTQyN30.62JZHAKVbcTxtuN2M44ujoQwzpVpALfbqyrGtlLw6JU/img.jpg?width=980" id="15849" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8c4224d19b7cce94cda6b74b26c12c58" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Picture of Irwin County Detention Center from above">
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Irwin County Detention Center</small></p><p><br></p><p>Another woman said she was not properly anesthetized during an ovarian cyst procedure and overheard the doctor say he had mistakenly removed the wrong ovary, she then had to have the correct ovary removed as well, rendering her unable to have kids. </p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-640"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - incontent44 - longest_content --></p><p>"When I met all these women who had had surgeries, I thought this was like an experimental concentration camp. It was like they're experimenting with our bodies," one detainee said, according to the <a href="https://projectsouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/OIG-ICDC-Complaint-1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">complaint</a>.</p><p>An ICE spokeswoman, Lindsay Williams, said on Tuesday that the agency does not comment on complaints made to the Office of the Inspector General but added that, "ICE takes all allegations seriously and defers to the OIG regarding any potential investigation and/or results. That said," the spokesperson added, "in general, anonymous, unproven allegations, made without any fact-checkable specifics, should be treated with the appropriate skepticism they deserve."</p><p>Dr. Ada Rivera, the medical director of the ICE Health Service Corps, <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/whistleblower-georgia-immigration-facility-is-covid-19-hotbed/XBQRQE45DNDLJAXCO2OD374VFQ/" target="_blank">strongly refuted</a> the allegations. He said that according to ICE data, only two individuals at the Irwin center in Georgia were referred for hysterectomies since 2018. "These recommendations were reviewed by the facility clinical authority and approved."</p><p>Nancy Pelosi also responded to the complaint, calling for a thorough investigation of the disturbing claims. She drew parallels to dark instances American history in which American doctors cruelly experimented on minorities in the name of medicine. "This profoundly disturbing situation recalls some of the darkest moments of our nation's history, from the exploitation of <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henriettalacks/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Henrietta Lacks</a>, to the horror of the <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-infamous-40-year-tuskegee-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tuskegee Syphilis Study</a>, to the forced sterilizations of Black women that <a href="https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/fannie-lou-hamer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fannie Lou Hamer</a> and so many others underwent and fought." she said.</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-641"> </div>
<!-- End Ezoic - bottomofpage - bottom_of_page --></p><h2></h2><p>If true, the allegations would not only be against US laws and CDC guidelines but also against international law. The United Nations defines "imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group" as an act of genocide and a crime under international law. </p>
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