Katie’s Story

I was introduced to the world of Autoimmune disorders before I ever received a diagnosis. I've had family members and friends diagnosed with various different types. It didnt really touch my life on a daily basis until my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Her body attacked itself and her pancreas is completely non-functioning. It threw me into a world of constant worry, Doctors, Pharmacy, 24/7 care and planning.

What i didnt realize, was how it was just preparing me for my own diagnosis years later. It took over 13 different doctors, countless tubes of blood sucked out for so many different tests, a lot of tears, frustration, self advocating, stress, anxiety, and fear before getting a diagnosis, treatment, even a little bit of peace , which is actually kind of ironic considering I'm constantly fatigued.

I have really learned that I HAVE to listen to my body, because if I push myself too hard, it'll go on strike and force me to take a break, and always at the most inconvenient time.

I used to love to go out and do things, and over the past few years, I've really become a homebody. I prefer staying home, where I dont have to exert my body, where I dont have to interact with too many other people, or even put myself at risk if they're sick which will really put me down for a timeout.

Some of the most frustrating parts are discovering new symptoms, possibly even more Autoimmune diagnoses, and trying to push through to finish a task when my body is done. When the brain fog is so heavy I feel like a blind squirrel. The worst is probably trying to explain invisible pain to people who just don't understand. I gave up on the ones that just dont care.

My circle has become much smaller, but I'm lucky to have a badass tribe that I never have to explain anything to, because they get it, they know. And there is comfort in that.