DIAGNOSED BY ACCIDENT: IMOGEN’S SJÖGREN’S JOURNEY
I’ve had dry eyes and I started getting dry mouth, however my diagnosis came by accident when I had blood tests for lower back pain they tested rheumatoid factor and mine came back at 256 when it’s supposed to be less than 20.
I’m also ANA positive, Ro positive, La positive, rheumatoid factor.
I am consistently exhausted and extremely so, I am tired all the time and people who don’t understand the disease don’t get how mentally and physically exhausting this disease is. I am in pain almost every single day and I get brain fog a lot of the time.
It frustrates me as there are some days I feel unable to get out of the house and do anything and I wish it wasn’t like that. I just want to feel normal again.
People believe it is ‘just dry eyes and dry mouth’ it’s so much more than that, I personally have extreme fatigue that makes me feel unable to do anything. I have been told that when I have a baby I will need to be monitored closely due to the high ANA and Ro Positive potential to cause issues to the foetus.
This disease is so much more than people think.
Sjögrens UK and Sjögrens support groups, online support groups and also just taking time out for me and checking in with myself daily! Knowing you aren’t alone.
Knowing that there are other people out there who have this and being able to find joy in things such as dance again which I hadn’t done for such a long time but it made me feel so good knowing I still had the ability even on the days my body was trying to give up.
