Auto Immune conditions

When Jeeva Anna George was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an uncommon digestive disorder causing inflammation of the small intestine, her whole life began revolving around food. Here she talks at length about her personal journey and how she learnt the hard way to control the disease by strictly following a gluten free diet. At what age did you discover you had celiac disease? My symptoms started when I was 25 but I was diagnosed a month after turning 27. What were your initial symptoms? My…

Suzanne Sangi is a 22-year-old who was recently diagnosed with Lupus, a chronic illness, which damages many parts of the body, including the joints, kidneys and heart. Here she talks about the pain that you can’t always see, and healing that you can always be a part of. For a long time, I have followed stories of women who have shared their experiences with chronic pain. I didn’t know that acknowledging pain would only be the starting point to what I would like to call the sparkling cloak of…

Bhanu Ramchandran talks to Sunena Gupta, a young girl whose journey to overcome self-image and mental issues caused by her chronic medical condition, is an inspiration to youngsters. 20 year old Sunena is a role model, an all-round achiever. An ace student, she is doing her Bachelors in a leading US university. She has been a basketball player in school. She plays the drums and is a Kathak dancer with several stage performances under her belt. Her next Kathak show – titled ‘Umeed’ (meaning ‘…

Urmila Prabhu, who developed vitiligo in her forties, has launched the Voice of Vitiligo, the first vitiligo support group in Mumbai, to spread awareness, build an active vitiligo community and combat the huge stigma attached to the disease. My vitiligo started in my late forties. I was going through a phase of extreme emotions. There was bereavement and celebrations within months. I had lost my partner in 2015, leaving a huge void in my life. Within eight months my daughter decided to get…

Priya had for years allowed hypothyroidism and its related issues to get the better of her, till she finally turned around and decided to make lifestyle changes and battle it head on. This is the story of how she emerged a winner. Early Symptoms When I was a teen in the early 1990’s, my poor mother spent hours every morning trying to get me out of bed. I held my stomach or head, faking intense pain. I even locked myself in the bathroom, poured water into the toilet and simultaneously made…

Gopa, 49 from Mumbai was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis soon after her breast cancer treatment ended. She shares the complications that Lupus brought and the lifestyle changes that have helped her. Please tell us a bit about your condition  I have Lupus Nephritis (stage 5) and a blockage in the heart which is being treated with medicines. When were you diagnosed? What were the early symptoms? Well in 2000, I was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer and had treatment going on till 2002.…

With increase in global warming, summers have become much hotter in recent years. Rising temperatures are seen with poor air quality, severe weather patterns and higher UV ray radiation. It becomes important to protect yourself and your family from the extreme heat, especially those who are living with a chronic condition.  Here is a look at certain diseases that are most affected by the summer heat and ways on how they can be better managed during summer. If any of your symptoms are not…

It was ad in a newspaper that familiarized Anju Gupta, 54, an Indian settled in Canada, to QiGong, a Chinese system of physical exercises and breathing control that helped keep her fibromyalgia in check. Read how she came out a winner. My problem began soon after I migrated to Canada in 1995. Besides, the pressures of settling in a new country, I had a baby to look after. My son was barely six weeks old. It was very stressful time for me. The only saving grace was that I began to steadily shed…

Varda, 34 who lives with the challenges of Myasthenia Gravis took to running to regain muscle strength. As she says: "I chose to run not because it is easy, but because it is hard!" She shares her fight against this neuro-muscular condition.  Please tell us a bit about your condition  I suffer from Myasthenia Gravis. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease — a disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues. In MG, that attack interrupts the…

Talking and writing about health related experiences is still not common in Asia.  This International Women’s Day, we reach out to three dynamic women who share their experience as patient or caregiver to understand their motivations. In the second part we talk to Kirtida Oza, Co-founder Director of Sjogren's India. Kirtida, tell us about the journey to a diagnosis of Sjögren’s Syndrome In 1989 I became a Mother! My little son was the source of great happiness for our family and I enjoyed…