My journey lupus journey hasn't ended - I'm still fighting! This year I decided to start my walk fundraising off with a bang by sharing what being a lupus warrior looks like while I am in the midst of a lupus nephritis battle on my social media pages. I recently had a kidney biopsy - BANG!

I was diagnosed with lupus nephritis over 17 years ago and the struggle has been really difficult these past 5-6 years. The struggle currently is that the protein leakage in my kidneys has been increasing. Lupus nephritis occurs when lupus autoantibodies affect parts of the kidneys that filter out waste. This causes swelling and irritation of the kidneys, called inflammation. It might lead to blood in the urine, protein in the urine, high blood pressure, kidneys that don't work well or even kidney failure.

I’ve been working with my doctors on addressing this issue. My doctors are a Rheumatologist - main doctor for rheumatic and other diseases including those that are inflammatory and autoimmune in nature, and my Nephrologist - kidney specialist/doctor. We agreed that a kidney biopsy was the next step in determining my treatment plan.

During a kidney biopsy, they insert a thin biopsy needle through your skin and into your kidney to obtain samples of your kidney tissue for analysis.
I plan to keep everyone updated on this current battle while simultaneously fundraising for the upcoming lupus walk on Oct 13 in SF. 

I’m thankful for each new day that I am blessed to see. I’m grateful for all of the wonderful people that I’ve gotten to know. I’m thankful for all of my family, friends, and the LFA. My faith in God, prayers, and desire to live and enjoy life is what drives me.

So many of us are affected by this disease and we need a cure desperately. I walk to raise awareness, educate, advocate and fundraise for a cure to Lupus.

Please donate because lupus warriors like me would like battles like these to end!

Did you know?

Lupus is a mysterious and misunderstood autoimmune disease. 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. Lupus is hard to diagnose, and there is no cure.  Together, we can solve the cruel mystery of lupus. Your donations help! Thank you for your generosity!