For years, my autoimmune/inflammatory arthritis disease impacted my joints. I lived with pain from inflammed joints life altering exhaustion, but I was able to push through wth the help of medications, therpies, and force of will.
Then my disease becme systemic. A CT scan showed my liver, intestines, lungs, colon, and heart lining all showed inflammation. Now some of my doctors see this inflammation in different ways. Some feel like they can’t definitively prove my autoimmune/inflamamtory disease caused this, while others are positive the antibodies developed from my biologic drug caused the entire situation. Now, I had been on that drug for almost three years and I did see great improvements in my joint pain and swelling. I still had pain and swelling, but at a lesser degree than before beginning the drug.
So when did I begin to develop these antibodies? Well that is anyone’s guess. To be clear, the antibodies did not cause inflammation to spread to my internal organs, rather, my body identified the medication as a foreign invader and prevented it from doing what it needed to do to control my disease. This caused me to live in an almost constant flare, where steroids were my only relief. What I didn’t know was what I couldn’t see. My organs were flaring.
I became so exhausted, that I barely functioned. Running errands, cooking, cleaning, showering, you name a daily living skill, and I was almost certainly unable to manage it. I felt sick. Being active made me nauseous and exhausted on a level that is so difficult to describe.
Once the issue was identified, a new treatment plan started. I was treated for anemia and psoriatic arthritis. I began a GLP-1 to get weight off that was caused by depression eating, exhaustion, a courosel of steroids, and menopause. Weight began to come off slowly until some of my blood levels showed improvement. I recently hit 65 lb weight loss. Clothes no longer fit, my jonts still hurt, but when I look in the mirror, I see myself again and that is when it hit me.
The past six years have been a struggle. I worked so hard at work and caring for loved ones that I stopped caring for myself. I pushed and pushed until my body revolted in a big way.
On September 4, 2025, I rushed to the hospital hemorrhaging and feeling so sick, I could barely function. On September 4, 2026, I am functioning at a low key level. I still struggle with daily living skills, but have learned to ask for help. I still don’t have stamina or energy, but I’m getting by with small steps and lots of breaks. I’ve changed my eating habits to promote better health. I work with a therapist on my mental health and I continue to try to make this systemic life of mine more enjoyable.
Leave a Reply