Resilience in the face of lupus

I HAVE never been a person to express my feelings on a social media platform, which is why I have elected to remain anonymous. With that being said, I feel it has become imperative to share my experience and journey with others, not for sympathy but for awareness, to strive, to celebrate life and not to give up. To assure other women who may be walking a similar journey, that you are not alone, all hope is not lost and that better days are ahead.

- ANONYMOUS Durban North

I was 19 when I was diagnosed with cardiac dysrhythmias. For the uninitiated, this entails irregularities in the heart's rhythm, causing it to beat either too fast, too slow, or irregularly. I was in my second year of study. Prior to the surgery, I fell terribly ill before my exams and landed in hospital.

My cardiologist recommended that I simply had to have a permanent pacemaker inserted. I was told that the recovery period was six weeks and was advised to lose a semester and to repeat my second year of studies. I decided to write all supplementary papers and not lose a semester or the fees that my parents had already paid.

I still remember my dad telling me that he would pay to repeat the semester. When faced with adversity and hardship, we need to remember that we are in control and know our body’s limitations. The joy on my parents’ faces on hearing that I passed all my exams made it all worthwhile. That little victory made me feel empowered and unstoppable.