Ari A. - Diagnosed at age 18
When I was 14 I would get sick every summer. It would last for about two weeks. That same year during the winter this is when I noticed my hands turning colors and it would be very painful. As the years went by, I started having allergic reactions to food like pizza, tomatoes and apples so I thought. My face would swell.
One day I was with my sister and nieces, laying on the floor and rolled over then we all heard a loud pop. We froze, and I told them I was fine. I iced my knee and did everything I could do but by the following week my left knee had swelled up to the point where I couldn't walk without being in pain. Once again, my parents and I were back at the hospital. After a few hours they told us I tore a ligament and some other stuff too. They referred me to an orthopedic doctor and was told I must have surgery. That lasted for a couple of months. I ate a Subway sandwich and the next morning my face was swollen. I could barely see because my eyes were almost swollen shut. They ran tests and said I had an allergic reaction to what I ate the night before.
A week or two later I received a referral letter to a nurse practitioner. I called right away because I knew something was wrong but I just couldn't figure out what was happening. I had my first appointment and normally the nurse would escort you to the exam room but the doctor herself came out instead. We went to the exam room and she was concerned that something else was going on. It took 2 weeks for the results. My dad and older sister went with me. When we got to the office she told all of us to come back to the exam room then the doctor said she needs more blood because she thinks I have lupus or Sjogren’s disease. One week later she confirmed that I have lupus, mixed connective tissue disease, Raynaud's phenomenon, and arthritis. This year will make 14 years as a survivor and I thank God for the life he gave me.