CHAPTER 21:

FINE-TUNING FOR

SPECIAL

POPULATIONS

“I was diagnosed with my first autoimmune
disease at 19—autoimmune hepatitis. Then
seven years later, I was diagnosed with lupus.
I had a rash on the face, mouth sores, fatigue,
hair falling out, swollen, painful joints,
shortness of breath. Then, my kidneys started
to fail, and I was diagnosed with lupus-
induced swelling of the brain. I started chemo
treatments, reached remission, then came out
of remission in 2010. Nothing worked—I was
heading toward dialysis and more chemo.
During all of these years, I gained weight
from the steroids, and my legs were was so