Meet Erika: Battling 6 Autoimmune Diseases—and Advocating for Millions

A Mysterious Illness and Years Without Answers

Erika’s story begins the way too many patients have experienced – with pain that didn’t have a name, symptoms that didn’t make sense, and a medical system that didn’t believe her.

For seven long years, Erika lived inside a body that betrayed her and a world that dismissed her. She was told she needed more sleep, more water, fewer worries. That maybe it was just motherhood or stress or hormones. Maybe it was all in her head.

But Erika knew better. Somewhere deep inside, she knew her body wasn’t lying.

A Diagnosis—and a New Reality

In 2017, the truth finally caught up with the pain. Erika was diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases: lupus, Sjögren’s, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Hashimoto’s disease, pernicious anemia, and autoimmune dysautonomia. She finally had answers, but the validation came tangled with fear.

“It was overwhelming,” Erika admitted. “Finally understanding why I felt the way I did didn’t make it easier. It just made it real.”

Real, and relentless.

Over 50 million Americans live with an autoimmune disease. What many people don’t realize is that 25% of those individuals live with more than one. Erika is part of that group. And while each condition may have a different name, there’s often a common thread: the body’s immune system attacks itself, mistaking healthy tissues for threats.

The Daily Struggle of Managing Multiple Conditions

For Erika, that meant unpredictable flares of joint pain, extreme fatigue, brain fog, dry eyes and mouth, persistent rashes, dizziness, nerve tingling, and unexplained fevers. It meant walking into doctor after doctor’s office, being told she was fine. That she just needed to rest. That she wasn’t “sick enough.”

Eventually, an elevated CRP level (an indicator of inflammation) led a provider to run an autoimmune panel. The results were undeniable. “You have lupus,” the doctor said.

Three words that changed everything.

More diagnoses followed. Some she expected. Others took her by surprise. A rare autoimmune condition was attacking her stomach lining, preventing her from absorbing vitamin B12 – something she still requires weekly injections for. RA symptoms followed closely behind, bringing a cascade of nerve pain and joint stiffness.

Managing one autoimmune disease is already a full-time job. But managing several? That’s a full-time job with competing bosses.

Fighting for Care, Finding Her Voice

While there are a few treatments that can target overlapping disease pathways, many therapies are disease-specific—meaning Erika is often prescribed multiple medications, infusions, and therapies that don’t always play nicely together. “I’m on several different medications,” she said. “Some that work for lupus, some that help my RA, and some that only partially touch what I’m experiencing.”

It’s a delicate balancing act of side effects, insurance battles, and constant recalibration.

“I’ve had to wait in pain while prior authorizations were processed,” Erika explained. “Sometimes the medication that’s actually working for me gets denied because my insurance company wants me to fail something cheaper first. It’s exhausting.”

Exhausting, and isolating.

That’s why Erika has made it her mission to raise awareness – not just for lupus or RA or dysautonomia, but for autoimmune diseases as a category.

“There’s power in numbers,” she said. “We may have different diagnoses, but we’re fighting a very similar enemy. And if we speak up together, we can advocate for better treatments, faster diagnoses, and hopefully, one day, cures.”

From Patient to Advocate

Erika’s lived experience has turned her into a fierce advocate. She now works with patient advocacy associations, serves on advisory councils, and regularly meets with policymakers to push for more inclusive research, funding, and comprehensive care for patients like herself. She’s also participated in clinical trials and helps support others navigating their diagnoses through peer-to-peer education.

“Representation matters—especially for younger patients and patients of color,” she said. “I want to help others feel seen and supported from the beginning, not years down the line like I was.”

That support didn’t always come easily. Early in her journey, Erika felt completely alone. “Joining online support groups, reading other people’s stories, and talking to those who had been through it too – that’s what helped me keep going.”

Living with Purpose and Power

Her career also reflects her desire to make a difference. Erika now works in development and fundraising at UT Health San Antonio, a leading academic health center dedicated to improving lives through education, research, and patient care, while raising three young children of her own and navigating IVIG infusions that span two full days each month.

The schedule is grueling. The weight is heavy. But her spirit? Unshaken.

“I share my story because someone else needs to hear it,” she said. “Someone out there is wondering if it’s all in their head. Someone else is scared, and in pain, and doesn’t have a name for it yet. If my experience can help even one person push for answers, or feel a little less alone, it’s worth it.”

And as Erika reminds us, autoimmune diseases don’t have to be visible to be valid. They don’t have to be rare to be devastating. And they don’t have to be solitary journeys—not if we choose to raise our voices together.

“No one should have to spend years begging to be believed,” Erika said. “If you’re living in a body that’s fighting itself, please don’t give up. Keep asking questions. Keep advocating. And know that you are not alone.”