Autoimmune Disease - My Story
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition called Churg Strauss Syndrome. It's quite rare, but many autoimmune conditions are not.
Autoimmune simply means that the body's immune system malfunctions and attacks the body itself.
Rheumatologists are the medical specialists that handle autoimmune conditions. Mine prescribed Prednisone. It's the first line of defense for autoimmune conditions that involve inflammation. But even at 60 mg/day it was not powerful enough and I soon needed stronger meds (Methotrexate and Cytoxan). I was having a hard time breathing and my legs became numb, so it was difficult to walk. It was scary.
There was one time I insisted on going to the airport to meet my daughter. My wife drove of course because I could not. I was walking with a cane, my breathing was terrible and because of the medication my hair had fallen out. But I thought I was fine. My daughter arrived, took one look at me and burst out crying. I guess that was the low point.
But finally they got things under control. And my hair grew back thicker than ever!
I was lucky. With other autoimmune conditions like Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Type 1 Diabetes the situation can be more complex.
Content written and posted by Ken Abbott abbottsystems@gmail.com
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