BALTIMORE — For Jacqueline Wert, living with lupus can be unpredictable, not knowing what toll it will take on her body that day.
“There are times I wake up in the middle of the night with severe pain and I’m crawling to the bathtub,” Wert said.
'My reason why is my family' One woman’s fight against Lupus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation and pain anywhere in the body. For some, it appears in sudden sharp flares that can leave them bedridden. For others, symptoms come and go, making it hard to stick a diagnosis.
Jacqueline knows that struggle all too well. It took her nearly two years to finally receive her diagnosis. But she considers herself one of the lucky ones, because on average, it takes people with lupus nearly six years to get answers.
“You get this diagnosis and you’re taking medicine every day that you weren't taking,” she said. “You have to avoid things, the sun is no longer my friend.”
Lupus affects an estimated 1.5 million Americans. About 90% of those diagnosed are women.
There is still no cure and the cause remains largely unknown. Researchers believe the disease may be triggered by a mix of hormones, environmental factors and genetics.
For Jacqueline, it’s personal. She remembers her grandmother, who died at just 48 years old, never having a diagnosis but suffering from symptoms eerily similar to her own.
“I remember as a child going into her room and it would be completely dark,” Jacqueline said. “She would have really bad headaches and joint pain.”
That family history is part of Jacqueline’s motivation to speak out and to walk. Each year, she and her high school friend Jody, who also has lupus, raises thousands of dollars for research.
"I reached out to her and I said, I was just diagnosed with lupus and she was like, oh my gosh, I’m so sorry," Jacqueline explained. “She had lost her mother to lupus when she was younger and she has lupus as well.
For Jacqueline, the fight is about more than just her own health, it’s about hope.
“My reason why is for my family,” she said. “I want there to be answers when they’re older. I couldn’t do it without them, my husband, my family, my parents, my great friends. They know what I’m going through, and I get up for them every day.”
On Saturday, September 20 at the Canton Waterfront Park, join lupus warriors for The Walk to End Lupus Now. WMAR-2 News returns at the media sponser.
The Lupus Foundation of America Walk to End Lupus Now brings the Maryland lupus community together to raise awareness, fund research, and rally public support. The event goal is to raise $52,000 this year, and every dollar goes toward programs in research, education, support, and advocacy.
Learn more and register for the walk here.
