I used to walk for myself, but now I walk for my momma, too.

I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) at eleven years old. 

Twenty years later, my momma was diagnosed at sixty-one years old.  

My journey:

I got off the bus from school one Friday afternoon (Friday 13th) with a headache, a fever, and a rash.  The next morning momma took me to urgent care and they told her I needed to go to the ER right away.  After an eight hour stay in our local hospital, the ambulance took me to Cape Fear for a blood transfusion, but when Cape Fear also couldn't help me, I was transported to Duke.  About a week into my stay at Duke, I received my diagnosis for Lupus and Lupus Nephritis. I was in kidney failure, my blood pressure was terribly high, I was losing blood, and I started chemotherapy immediately. I received a cytoxan treatment once a month for a year and then every three months for the second year. In middle school, I gained twenty pounds within a few weeks and lost my hair.

Fast foward to now, I live a mostly regular life. I have since been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Autoimmune Neutropenia.  I have the daily joint and muscle pain, fatigue, and brain fog, but they are all pretty normal to me at this point. I recently experienced one of the worst flares I've had in twenty years due to a mix-up in medication. This flare served as a reminder of how serious Lupus can be, how careful I have to be to maintain my health, and how blessed I am to live the life that I do.

Why is this walk so important?

1. It is the first walk since my momma's diagnosis. She has walked with me in every Lupus walk that I have attended as my supporter, and now we get to do this together.

2. This is the first walk since I was voted on as a board member for the Lupus Foundation of America- NC Chapter (LFANC).

3. This is the first walk to follow a serious Lupus flare making this walk a little more significant than the rest.

View my work with the LFANC:

In 2016, I spoke at the Walk for Lupus Now in Raleigh, NC:

https://youtu.be/Qc2AyV1Wqks

In 2016, I was interviewed by Tarheel Talk about my journey with Lupus and the importance of the walk: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1GgyEsXAPe-42M1TpLZVcKQRNuy28bDarLV71ilUT4K8TqZnZ8wj3jVws_aem_th_AaF6_R3MGKunAf4LRiQpfwDmTy95IhCiQXn-Rn6GMjzJtw4LlhNuZ3KiVwWoF4q-j60&v=AWITmNMesvg&feature=youtu.be&mibextid=Zxz2cZ#bottom-sheet

I've shared advice on LFANC's "Share the Journey" blog many times:

https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey-healthy-habits

https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey-life-decisions

https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey

https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey-different-experiences?fbclid=IwAR3C6yEbGLuKVGnpIfzE20rd_r-Bzhpoj1i2WruMf41ZWXFVQecCGoshY1Q

 https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey-staying-active?fbclid=IwAR20O-yVN7nPHZj-86OWdy6PITG5kQVDgRX3-B4Tgw6BrLuLC2qyRuFipMI

 https://www.lupus.org/blog/sharing-the-journey-june-2019?fbclid=IwAR0NI3PmLFti6sErLr2uZDJO2NH94CbNH5SpQSAOlX_V0P3mTiy5PuXdGTs

My current involvement in LFANC includes:

Board of Directors

External Affairs Committee Member

Educational Summit Committee Member

Organizer of the LFANC + NC Bar Foundation's Wills for Heroes Event honoring Lupus Thrivers