Maria P. - Diagnosed Age 35

I was diagnosed with lupus in 2015. It started with a lower back pain which I thought was my kidneys. In fact it was a tumor in my ovary that was putting pressure on my back. It was so hard to finally get diagnosed with lupus. I got screened for so many other conditions. However, being only 35 I was already experiencing early menopause and that was one of the main clues that I had lupus. I had a bout of chemo to try to shrink the tumor, however, my body was not strong enough to take the chemo and I opted to have a partial hysterectomy.

I became a fitness instructor to prove that I could but it is hard every day. I try to be an inspiration to others that are struggling with weight loss, lupus, or any other disorder. I currently am trying holistic remedies to battle my lupus symptoms. I am happy that I have not had a very severe flare up in a while. When I do get a flare up I am out of commission for days on end. I still work a full time job which is above the odds for someone with lupus, but I continue to push and beat the odds. I want to be able to help others with this condition so they can see that we can keep winning against lupus.