Alejandra A. - Diagnosed at age 19

Before I was 19 years old, I started to lose weight until I weighed 119.05 lbs, this was very low for someone who is 5.839895 ft. I had to go to the doctor. I went through months of mystery and despair for wanting to have the answer of what was wrong with my body - they thought of diagnoses such as cancer. By a confusion of analysis by accident I did the test of Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and surprisingly it was positive along with other tests.

My type of lupus at the beginning only attacked my joints, some kidney issues, skin and mucous membranes. However at 20 it began to attack other organs such as the gallbladder, liver inflammation and what now has been the most difficult, the nervous system.

It all started as twinges in the eyes and muscle spasms, but gradually worsened to pains similar to an electric shock in the body along with muscle spasms that do not let me walk. The doctor told me that they were seizures or a type of seizures that inflamed my brain lupus, so I have to rehabilitate certain issues such as speech, memory, etc. It has been difficult but I will never give up.