Category: My Story
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Life Update—February 2024
It has been several months since my last update. I took a step back from socials and blogging to focus on my “real” life. Tomorrow is Rare Disease Day, so it feels like the right time to give an update. I’ve been feeling a bit sick and fatigued lately, but I have an appointment with…
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Life Update—June 2023
June was terrible. I had high hopes, and I think that was my first mistake. Since I had no big plans, I was looking forward to a calm and relaxing month. I unfortunately ended up getting the exact opposite. It feels like everything that could have gone wrong, did just that. Between car troubles, work…
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Life Update — May 2023
May has without a doubt been the most exciting and rewarding month of 2023 so far! I have good news on all fronts. Firstly and most importantly, I’m so happy to report that my labs are stable and I am considered “non-nephrotic,” meaning that my kidneys are only spilling a negligible amount of protein. In…
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Life Update — April 2023
This has been a busy month, to say the least! I started the month off by traveling to Austin to speak on a patient panel for a pharmaceutical company. It was a great experience and I got to meet two wonderful women who are also affected by rare kidney disease. I am so thankful to…
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Life Update – January 2023
As many of you already know, a few months back I received a diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy, a rare and incurable autoimmune disease that causes damage to the kidneys. I have been living with Stage 3 kidney disease for almost 6 months now. Things have been going well health-wise since my diagnosis—the disease has slowed…
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My Story: Life With IgAN, From First Symptom to Now
The story of my kidney journey really starts in July 2011, I just didn’t know it at the time. I was 18, freshly graduated from high school, and was busy hanging out with friends and working my summer job as a lifeguard at the local community center. One day, as I was biking home after…
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My Kidney Biopsy Experience
When I was preparing for my kidney biopsy, I couldn’t find many stories from patients about their personal experience. I want to share the details about my experience to help ease the minds of patients who are facing their first biopsy. I’ll go over everything from my first consultation to receiving the results. First, I…
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What I Wish I Knew When I Got Diagnosed With IgAN
Finding out you have chronic kidney disease, IgA nephropathy, autoimmune disease, or really any chronic condition is never welcome news. Not only is it overwhelming and scary, but it also forces immediate change in your life. Suddenly, you’re facing diet changes, tracking symptoms, and learning all kinds of new terms and information. Hopefully, this list…
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Welcome, sorry you’re here.
I hope this blog post finds you well. Unfortunately, I know that if you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that either you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with or is suspected to have IgA Nephropathy. That’s a huge bummer. The good news is you’re not alone. My name is Ariana, but…
Life With IgAN 