When I was younger, I had mapped out my entire life. I planned on getting into a great college, becoming an RN, and joining The Mercy Ships upon graduation. Helping and caring for others always came naturally, and I thought an organization like The Mercy Ships was the perfect intersection of my love for medicine and travel.
And I was so close. In fact, I was literally near the end of nursing school before my life changed. To get a better understanding of this condition, here’s a detailed look into how lupus changed my life…
The Signs Were There
As shocking as it all was when it happened, looking back now, I see how many lupus signs were missed in my life. Actual symptoms of the disease started when I was around 8-years-old. I got weird rashes from the sun, random fevers, pain, mouth sores and severe fatigue. I’m pretty sure I was the only 8-year-old in my neighborhood clocking in two naps per day.
Growing up in the 80s, we didn’t learn about conditions like lupus, let alone even hear the word! And the physicians my family brought me to never tested for it. Symptoms were blamed either on a virus or me being a “delicate child” with severe asthma and allergies who just happened to get sick a lot.