In an article published in Insider, writer Samarah Cohen detailed her experience of receiving a lupus diagnosis. Throughout her childhood, Ms. Cohen lived with gastroparesis; joint pain; and chronic pain in her legs, feet, hands, elbows, shoulders, and neck. She visited several physicians and received a diagnosis of undifferentiated connective tissue disease; however, with a family history of lupus, Ms. Cohen anticipated that she also had the disease and would need a diagnosis to begin receiving proper treatment. After experiencing tremors and a malar rash as a young adult, she visited four physicians for evaluation—several of whom advised her that her symptoms were attributed to Sjögren’s syndrome or being overweight. It wasn’t until she visited a physician in Baltimore that she was diagnosed with lupus and was prescribed a steroid injection to alleviate her symptoms. As a New York resident, Ms. Cohen noted that although traveling 4 hours to her appointments every 3 to 6 months has been difficult, she is now able to effectively manage her condition and feels heard by her physician.


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