PROGRAM.
SHE PLANS ON ATTENDING SEMINOLE
STATE IN THE FALL.
>>> IT IS TIME FOR ANOTHER
INSTALLMENT OF FLASH POINT.
THIS WEEK I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SIT DOWN WITH VICKIE
LAWRENCE.
>> REPORTER: GOOD MORNING.
I'M AMANDA CASTRO.
SHE'S ENTERTAINED AUDIENCES
OVER THE COURSE OF 4 DECADES
WITH FAMOUS ROLES ON THE CAROL
BURNETT SHOW AND MAMMA'S FAMILY.
BUT LATELY VICKI LAWRENCE IS
TURNING HER ATTENTION TO
SOMETHING ELSE AND WE'RE SO
EXCITED TO BE JOINED BY THE
EMMY AWARD WINNING ACTRESS
VICKI LAWRENCE.
VICKI, YOU'RE HERE TO TALK
ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE
LITTLE KNOWN DISEASE.
SO PLEASE SHARE US YOUR STORY.
>> I'M TRAVELING AROUND THE
COUNTRY, TRYING TO GET THE WORD
OUT ABOUT CIU WHICH IS
CARDIOPATHIC URNICARIA.
DIFFICULT IT DIAGNOSE FORM OF
CHRONIC HIVES AND AS IT TURNS
OUT, THERE ARE A MILLION AND A
HALF OF US IN THIS COUNSELRY
THAT HAVE THIS DISEASE AND I
WAS DIAGNOSED 6 YEARS AGO AND
DECIDED TO HELP WITH THE
CAMPAIGN AND THE HIVES IF YOU
WILL
I'M THE POSTER CHILD.
JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW
YOU'RE NOT DOING IT ALONE.
I'M IN WITH YOU.
>> REPORTER: SO, VICKI, WHEN
DID YOU GET HIVES?
TELL US THE STORY ABOUT HOW YOU
NOTICED?
>> I WOKE UP WITH MY HANDS
ITCHING ONE MORNING AND I TOLD
MY HUSBAND, BUY A LETO TICKET
BECAUSE THE PALMS OF MY PALMS
WERE HITCHING SO BADLY AND THEN
IT WASN'T FUNNY.
SOAK THEM IN ICE WATER AND THEN
I WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY WITH MY
HANDS ITCHING AGAIN.
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?
I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL
LATER WALKING THE DOGS AND
BROKE OUT ALL OVER MY BODY.
WENT TOY SEE MY ALERNLIST AND
TROOTED THE REACTION FOR HIVES
ANHE SAID IT WASN'T WORKING
AND THEN IT'S UP TO THE CHRONIC
MEETING AND NOW LASTED FOR MORE
THAN 6 WEEKED AND IDIOPATHIC
CAN'T WILL ME WHY IT'S
HAPPENING AND NO TRIGGER FOR
THOSE OFUSTHAT HAVE THIS.
AND IT IS THE FANCY WORD FOR
HIVES AND THANKFULLY HE WAS
FAMILIAR WITH THE CONDITION AND
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP
PUT THIS PROGRAM AND THIS
WEBSITE CIU AND YOU.COM
TOGETHER.
MY STORY IS ON THERE.
IT'S SUPPORTED BY THE ASTHMA
ALLERGY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
AND MADE POSSIBLE AND IT'S A
REALLY NICE WEBSITE AND PROUD
OF IT.
NOW WHEN YOU GOOGLE CIU AND IT
IS POPPING UP QUICKLY AND JUST
THE WELT OF INFORMATION FOR
PEOPLE AND ANSWERS.
>> AND THEN TALK TO VICKI
LAWRENCE AND TALK ABOUT THE
NATIONAL PROGRAM AND GETTING
RESULTS FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY
CIU.
>> ANCHOR: WELCOME BACK TO
FLASHPOINT.
TODAY WE'RE TALKING WITH EMMY
WINNING VICKI LAWRENCE.
>> AND THEN FIRST OF ALL LET'S
DIVE RIGHT IN.
WHAT IS CIU AND YOU?
>> IT'S THE WEBSITE THAT WAS
PUT TOGETHER AS SORT OF
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH POPULAR
FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY MIGHT
HAVE CHRONIC HIVES AND FIND THE
ANSWERS.
WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED AND I
GOOGLED CIU, THERE WAS NO GOOD
INFORMATION ON THE WEB.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
ASKING QUESTIONS AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE FRUSTRATED AND THERE
JUAN GOOD INFORMATION.
AND SO AS I SAID A COUPLE OF
YEARS AGO, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO JOIN AND PUT MY FACE ON THIS
WEBSITE.
AND THEN I'LL THROW LIVES IN
THE RING AND WON'T BE A
SPOKESPERSON AND LET PEOPLE
KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH
IT AND MY STORY IS ON THIS
WEBSITE AND THEY'RE
DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS ASK THEN
THEY TRACK THEIR HIVES AND TAKE
PICTURES AND THEN DO GET TO THE
RIGHT FATHER AND WILL BE ARMED
AND PROACTIVE ABOUT FINDING A
WATO MANAGE YOUR HIVES.
COME TO FIEP OUT IT'S TREATABLE
BUT NOT CURABLE.
AND THEN IT IS GOING TO SEE
THOSE THAT COME BACK AND IT IS
FOR A MILLION AND A HALF OTHERS
IT'S CHRONIC AND THE
FRUSTRATING THING IS YOU TRY TO
BLAME YOURSELF.
WHAT DID I DOWRONG?
WHAT PERFUME AND IT IS NOT
ANYTHING AND IT JUST HAPPENS.
>> AND LET PEOPLE KNOW
EXPERIENCING THIS?
>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY
I'VE DONE AND OH, MY GOD.
THIS IS MY MOM.
I HAVE TO CALL HER RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AND TRYING
TO HELP BLEED THEM IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
NAND I'M SURE HAVING A PERSON
LIKE YOU, SOMEONE PEOPLE LOOK
UP TO, I'M SURE, JUST TO SEE
YOUR FACE.
>> AND TO SEE THE RECOGNIZABLE
FACE AND I'M HOPING THAT
PEOPLE, THAT ACRONYM, WILL JUST
BECOME PEOPLE WHO WILL KNOW CIU.
I'VE SEEN THIS AND SAW VICKI
AND AMANDA TALK BEING IT.
>> AND TRY TO GET MORE
INFORMATION AND HELP THEMSELVES.
AND YOU'RE WELL KNOWN FOR YOUR
TIME ON THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW
AND THEN BESIDES RAISING
AWARENESS FOR CIU, WHAT ARE YOU
UP TO NOWADAYS?
>> AND THE ONE WOMASHOWED PUT
TOGETHER A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO,
VICKI LAWRENCE AND MAMMA.
HALF MAN, HALF MAMMA WHICH IS
HERELIKE LAST WEEK.
WE WERE IN TAMPA AND THEN OVER
IN JACKSONVILLE AND DROVE
THROUGH ORLANDO.
DIDN'T STOP.
>> JUST WAVED ON THE WAY
THROUGH.
>> GOT STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
HAVE SOME TRAFFIC DOWN HERE IN
ORLANDO.
DIDN'T COUNT ON.
>> REPORTER: SO HAVE YOU FOUND
IT DIFFERENT TO SPREAD THE
MESSAGE FOR CIU?
>> GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE.
19 CITIES NOW AND WE'LL VISIT
MORE THIS YEAR AND GETTING ON
LOCAL NEWS SHOWS AND LETTING
PEOPLE KNOW IT'S A REAL THING.
YOU HAVEN'T LOST YOUR MIND.
IT REALLY IS A CONDITION AND
THAT'S AS I SAID TREATABLE BUT
NOT CURABLE.
>> SO YOU MENTIONED TREATABLE
BUT NOT CURABLE.
>> THE THING THE WEBSITE WILL
REMIND YOU TO DO IS TO FIND AN
ALLERGIST OR DERMATOLOGIST WITH
CI AND YOUHOPEFULLY IT CAN TAKE
YOU 6 WEEKS TO GET THE
DIAGNOSIS OF CIU AND AFTER THAT
POINT, IF YOU'RE WITH THE RIGHT
DOCTOR, HOPEFULLY GET A
TREATMENT PLAN TOGETHER THAT
WILL MANAGE OUR CONDITION FOR
YOU.
>> IS THERE ANYONE THAT MAY
THINK THEY KNOW SOMEONE OR HAVE
CIU AND WHAT CAN THEY DO TO GET
INVOLVED.
>> IT'S ALL SPELLED OUT AND
THERE IS A LOT OF GREAT
INFORMATION ON THERE AND JUST
HELP YOURSELF AND BE PROACTIVE.
>> REPORTER: THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US AND SUCH A PLEASURE
TO HAVE YOU HERE AND WE'D LIKE
TO THANK VICKI LAWRENCE FOR
APPEARING ON FLASHPOINT AND