" L​ift ​UP​ ​U​r ​S​pirits" by Nathan G

     Going into my freshman year of high school, I faced many physical health issues that deprived me from thriving as an individual. Around 8th grade I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease known as Lupus, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Lupus is a systemic autoimmune disease that occurs when your body's immune system attacks your own tissues and organs with excessive inflammation. Lupus contains symptoms like: pain in muscles, anemia, fatigue, fever, malaise, hair loss, red rashes, and ulcers. This disease was an enormous bump in my life, because it restricted me from doing classes that could help me improve as a student. My sickness also prevented me from playing the sports that I loved, and could of made the team for. Throughout all my years of high school, I wasn’t allowed to take the certain workshops I wanted to because they were bad for my condition. One other thing about my condition was not being able to be out in the sun because UV light would cause inflammation onto the surface of my skin. This was a serious condition that would cause me to feel weak all the time, even to just walk upstairs, but that didn’t stop me. This showed me that no matter how hard life could get, especially at the most unexpected times that I shouldn’t let these problems stop me from growing.
     Over two years ago, I was in one of my worst possible states ever, I was extremely weak and full of red patches on my face caused by the sizzling sun. The medications took time to kick

in and had major side effects such as; gaining excessive weight, hair loss, sensitive skin, and muscle fatigue. It came to the point where I had to go to the hospital every week for an IV infusion that was strapped to the side of my forearm as I lay in bed for 4 hours. I could still remember the scars on the veins of my arm as the nurse stuck a needle slowly inside to initiate the infusion. The impression on my mom’s face as she saw me lay in bed was full of sorrow as I saw her look to side tearing up from seeing her son having to go through a treatment used for cancer patients. She would say, “It’s okay son, the treatment will make you feel better. It’s almost over just relax.” And I would reply, “Mom I don’t want to do this. Why does it have to be me?” I could even overhear the doctor as the echoes come from hallway, “This treatment can last up to months,and there are some side effects.” I was scared out of my life, and didn’t know what to think of myself. I just laid there and wondered why would God place me in this position. Then again it started to add up because my sister was diagnosed with the same disorder in 2008. My parents realized that this disorder was hereditary, and that I was lucky to be diagnosed early before it was too late. My sister has gone through way worse than me: she is so fortunate to be alive because the disorder attacked her whole body from her lungs to kidneys. I’d still hear her cries when she would cough up blood in the sink, then all of sudden sirens were headed our way to rush to the ER. She was so pale and helpless as I saw her rest on the bed. I cried my heart out, and said to my mom, “She can’t go momma. She’s not even married yet.” My mom said, “I know Nathan it’ll be okay its all in God’s hands now.” Luckily enough she recovered within a few weeks, and was put on medication for the rest of her life. Till now my sister reminds me of that moment, and tells me to take care of myself, especially with taking my medications daily. I’d miss my medications for a couple of days, then all of a sudden a red spot would show up on

the side of my face. That’s when I hear it, my sisters voice, “Do you want to go through what I went through Nathan? This condition needs to be taken seriously, it could ruin your life in an instant. I know you don’t want that.” After that I’d tell myself to stop missing my medications, and keep my sister’s voice as a reminder of thriving independently even at the roughest times. She became the biggest motivation to me whether it may be about my condition or not, I still knew that nothing could stop after seeing what my sister had gone through.