Life Lessons Of 2022
If I were to tell you that this year has almost killed me would you believe me?
It's no secret that I am very open about living with Lupus. I was diagnosed when I was 7 years old and most of my childhood was spent in the hospital. With time, my auto immune disease gave me a break and I was in remission for many years.
Fast forward to adulthood, now Lupus is playing a different type of game. My career has always been a priority and somehow I was starting to feel like I couldn't perform to the best of my ability. I would wake up extremely exhausted, my face would swell up, and after being active for 5 hours my body would give up. I knew deep down that I was about to fight a fight that I fought years before.
I took a family trip and immediately felt sick. My dad rushed me to the emergency room and that's when I was told my heart was about to give up. I was in the hospital for weeks battling heart failure. Once that was over, the second fight began. My Lupus was active and ready to attack all my major organs. Next up, my kidneys were up in the boxing ring to fight the fight.
I was put on dialysis for 6 months. I wasn't allowed to work anymore and that brought much sadness to my situation. It seemed like a constant routine of blood work and getting hooked up to a machine for hours 3 times a week. I was lucky to only do this for a few months to get my kidneys working again, I met people there that have been doing it for years.
Just as I was celebrating this huge health achievement, Lupus strikes again. I collapse in my bathroom, and back to the hospital I went. I found out that one of my lungs was ready to collapse because it was drowning in liquid. If that wasn't enough, I was in need of multiple blood transfusions.
While all that was going on, I had medical procedure and that's when I was told that I had developed auto immune cirrhosis of the liver. Now, I am about to begin my journey towards a liver transplant. Am I scared? Absolutely! I have fought a long fight and I'm still not anywhere near the end.
My family and close friends are the only ones that have been alongside for my struggles. I am thankful for those angels in my life. I have to terms about the outcome if things don't go well, but I am also extremely grateful for the current life I've had the pleasure to enjoy.
May 2023 bring you love, happiness, and most importantly HEALTH!