Earlier this month, Lady Gaga frightened fans when she revealed to Larry King that she had been tested for lupus and that results had shown she was "borderline positive" for the disease.

"Lupus is in my family and it's genetic, and it's funny, 'cause my mother told me the other day that my fans were quite worried about me, because I did talk about the fact that I was tested for lupus," Gaga told King. "And the truth is, I don't show any signs, any symptoms of lupus, but I have tested borderline positive for the disease. So as of right now, I don't have it. But I do have to take good care of myself."

And in the upcoming issue of Rolling Stone  magazine — which hits newsstands last Friday — Gaga expounds even further on her condition, telling writer Neil Strauss that she doesn't want her fans to worry about the disease and that she's already taking steps to ensure she'll remain healthy in the midst of her seemingly endless world tour.

"It's more making sure that I reduce stress in my life to make sure I don't develop [the disease]," she said. "I make much more of an effort now to minimize the drama or the stress. ... I take care of myself. I drink and still live my life, but I could never let my fans down. That would kill me to have to face that extra obstacle every day to get onstage. It's completely terrifying, so I'm just really focused on mind, body and soul."

Gaga also said that, though she's been tested for lupus, she's not interested in following doctor's orders when it comes to preventing the disease. Rather, since lupus is thought to be hereditary, she's sought the advice of her family on how to live.

"It's in my family, so I don't really listen to doctors very much when it comes to it, because it's so personal," she said. "I talk to people that I know that have it or my father, whose sister died from it. There's nothing to worry about, but I do get very tired sometimes, and I naturally wonder [about the disease]."

And to that end, Gaga admitted to Strauss that she does worry sometimes about the effect her schedule (and her fame) has on her health but that she continues to press on, no matter what those closest to her may be saying.

"I don't want to be [a hypochondriac], so most of the time, I'm like, 'F--- it, I'm fine,' " Gaga told Strauss. "At a certain point, you're so beyond the point of exhaustion that you don't know: Do I have a health problem that may or may not be real, or am I just really tired?"

Her comments about worrying she is being a hypochondriacreminded me of myself before I was diagnosed with lupus. I remember geting so disgusted because all the doctors would do was give me antibiotics.  So once it was announced that by using antibiotics you could develop a tolerance to them and they would no longer work when really needed for serious illnesses, I just stopped going to the doctor for my frequent illnesses.  I remember sometimes when  I had too much to drink I would get weepy and tell my closest friends that I was scared I was really sick.  But I would never talk about it afterwards and would continue to attribute my fatigue, muscle aches, and malaise on my stressful career.  I blamed my rashes and feeling sick from sun exposure to sensitive skin.  So I self medicated with whatever helped - tylenol, excedrin, vitamins, alcohol. etc. and avoided doctors unless I needed my thyroid checked and medicines renewed. 

I am really encouraged by Lady Gaga.  Less than a month after she first discussed her fear of having lupus, she has spoken about it to Larry King and Rolling Stone Magazine.  She also auctioned and donated the proceeds from her Poker Face video necklace to the LFA (Lupus Foundation of America).  Thank you Lady Gaga and please keep up the good work talking and raising funds for lupus.  We lupies need you!  I think from her announcements more people have become educated about lupus and hopefully more people will come out from hiding as Terri Seymour did 2 days ago.  I think more celebrities will be debating whether they should quit hiding after seeing how the news was consumed with Lady Gaga and lupus for over a week after her first announcement.  Lupus is nothing to be ashamed of and by sharing with the world that they suffer from this disease, they inspire other lupus patients to keep fighting and know they are not alone.  And the increased awareness means more money for lupus research & development so we have a better chance determining what causes this disease and how to cure it.  So thank you Lady Gaga and please keep talking and raising awareness.  We appreciate it so much and you single handedly can make so much difference.

xoxo

Lupus Celebrity