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Lupus Doesn't Define Me

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By al1999owl

1 min read

I started having symptoms of SLE in 2016. I was just 16 at the time.

Misdiagnosis

In the beginning, I had mild joint pain and a horrendous case of scleritis, which was misdiagnosed as pink eye. Eventually, a few months later that pain had pretty much subsided, thankfully.

The following year my joint pain got worse. I was still in high school, I ran cross country. I knew something was wrong. It hurt so bad to run but I had a very difficult time explaining it to my coach and parents. It wasn’t just one thing that hurt- it was everything. I was so tired.

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Surviving high school with lupus

Finally, at the end of senior year I ended up missing pretty much the whole month of May due to how sick I was. I was at the doctor's office literally every other day. I had to quit both jobs I was working. Three days before I graduated high school, I was diagnosed, Lupus.

Dealing with denial

I definitely had denial at first but even though it is a difficult thing to deal with every day, I feel it has bought me closer to God and those I love. I am thankful to be here and feeling better recently. Lupus doesn’t define me but it is a big part of my new life. I am thankful to be here and learn how to do things in a new way. :)

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