Hello Friends and Family,

I am now a quarter of a century old and a lot has changed in the past year! I started my career as an ICU nurse and I love the challenges it brings. I got married in September to my very supportive husband, Lucas, and we honeymooned in the DR! And just recently, we bought our first home together.

I have now been diagnosed with Lupus for a few years, and it doesn’t get much easier unfortunately. Along with Lupus, I have Hashimoto's, and the newest addition to the team, Fibromyalgia. Mixed all together, they are exhausting. The fatigue that I experience every day is unreal. I can try to explain how difficult it is to get out of bed or how I would do anything for 10 more minutes of energy, but Lupus is invisible and difficult to understand. Besides the fatigue, my Lupus has found many more ways to present itself just in the past year. It affects myself and others a handful of other ways such as weakness, muscle pain, joint pain, sun sensitivity, digestive health (erosion of the esophagus/stomach and Celiac for myself), heart, kidney, and liver function, and mental health.

It can be so frustrating for others to understand the pain and fatigue that this disease process holds. I mean, I get it, hearing a 25 year-old complain about back and joint pain may sound weird. I often get strange remarks such as, “oh you’re young, you’ll be fine,”  or “you’re just lazy, get some exercise.” Lupus awareness and funding for research can help others like myself find a cure for less pain and more energy!

I am fighting in honor of all the Lupus Warriors out there! 

Did you know?

Lupus is a mysterious and misunderstood autoimmune disease. It strikes without warning, affects each person differently, and has no known causes or cure.

Lupus symptoms can be severe and highly unpredictable and can damage any organ or tissue, from the skin or joints to the heart or kidneys.

While lupus can strike anyone at any time, 90% of people living with lupus are women. Women of color are at especially high risk.

Lupus is hard to diagnose, but the Lupus Foundation of America is working to make life easier and more comfortable for the estimated 1.5 million people living with lupus in the United States.  Together, we can solve the cruel mystery of lupus. Thank you for your generosity!