Auto Immune conditions

The patient-led Lupus Trust India is creating a holistic support network for Lupus patients in India. As they prepare for awareness campaigns for World Lupus Day,  watch this space for the resources they are putting together.  Contributed by Suzanne Sangi Ask any Lupus patient in India how they felt right after their diagnosis, and you’re sure to hear them say “It’s the first time I heard about Lupus” or “It felt like I was the only one”. Why? Because in India, nobody talks about this…

Living with three autoimmune conditions, followed by a liver transplant at 18, has not deterred this 18 year old teenager from Singapore who has written a book under the pen name Y.K Riley. She highlights the challenge of living with an invisible illness, the side effects of her treatment and the need to understand her conditions. Please tell us a bit about your condition(s) I have Autoimmune Hepatitis, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Ulcerative Colitis. They are autoimmune diseases where my…

Thirty five year old Deepthi Sudhir Nair, a person with Myasthenia Gravis, rings in 2017 with five heartfelt pointers that can help transform lives and bring in greater happiness, positivity and self-respect in the New Year. Before I bury my reminiscences of 2016, I want to thank it for making me a chronically ill patient (through myasthenia gravis, urticaria, bronchial asthma, migraines and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures) and taking away my freedom. At the same time, teaching me what life…

Aditi Gupta, 23 from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh has been in pain for the last 5 years, battling an invisible condition called Fibromyalgia. She still has not found a cure, but has not given up hope – yet. I suffer from a chronic pain illness called Fibromyalgia. It is an invisible and an incurable condition causes widespread muscle pain, migraine, stiffness, fatigue, morning sickness, insomnia, restless legs, depression and several other symptoms. First Symptoms  I was diagnosed about 3.5…

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.…