For those living with autoimmune diseases like Lupus, every day can feel like an uphill battle. The road from initial symptoms to diagnosis is often a challenging one, filled with uncertainty, frustration, and the overwhelming feeling of facing something you cannot fully understand or control. At Uptiv Health, we recognize this journey and are committed to standing alongside our patients, offering care that goes beyond infusion. We believe in supporting the whole person—physically, emotionally, and mentally—to help turn stories of survival into stories of thriving. This is one such story, a reflection of resilience and the power of compassionate, whole-person care.
We sat down with one of our patients, Angelica Hollingsworth, to learn more about her journey, her struggles and wins. Many people often think that autoimmune diseases and chronic illness only affect the elderly. And it is important to shed light on the fact that many autoimmune conditions start showing their symptoms during childhood or teenage years, and affect many adults in their prime years, while studying, working and caring for their families.
Fighting For a Diagnosis
When hearing the words “the results came back positive for Lupus”, a feeling came over me that was the most unfamiliar feeling I’ve ever felt. Half of me felt nauseous, terrified, and worried, while the other half of me felt an overwhelming feeling of relief. I was not sure exactly what I felt at that moment, but I knew that I would have a challenging road ahead of me.
College was one of the best times of my life. I dreamed all my life of going away to a university and living on campus. I ultimately fell in love with Grand Valley State and the day I received my acceptance was one of the happiest moments of my life. I loved life in college. I made friends, joined a sorority, and even moved into my sorority house. So when I started continuously having fevers above 100+, so much pain in my joints that I could barely walk to my classes, and even being sent home from class for looking so “sick”, I started to feel like the life I worked so hard for was going to be ripped away from me.
During my first “flares”, which at the time I did not know was a flare, I checked myself into multiple hospitals and urgent care facilities, desperate for some type of answer and for the fevers and pain to just go away. For three years (yes, three years!) I saw around 7 different doctors, explained the same symptoms over and over, and was left with only a guess from the doctors of what could be wrong, never an answer. Finally, after my fifth hospital visit, the ER doctor admitted that while he couldn’t tell me what was wrong with me, he recommended I see a specialty doctor, as they might be able to aid me better. I am forever grateful for that recommendation.
After a few weeks, lots of blood draws, physical exams, tears, and stress, the rheumatologist that the ER doctor recommended finally called with the answer: Lupus. Initially, after hearing that diagnosis, I felt unprepared for what was to come. I knew my family and friends would be as supportive as possible, but we all knew very little about the disease. I wish that I had more support, especially from my rheumatologist, as I was mostly just given a diagnosis and a follow-up appointment for months later. I was not even sure what to do during my first flare post-diagnosis; knowing I had this disease, my body was attacking itself and I was very sick, and every call I made to my rheumatologist for some type of guidance was never answered. After this first flare and the lack of support from my rheumatologist, I decided to look around for a new doctor. After some research, I found a highly-rated rheumatologist in my area, and even though I had to wait a few months for my first appointment, switching to that office was a lifesaver. Sometimes I wonder if I never made that switch, would my original rheumatologist ever recommend that I start getting infusions of Benlysta? Would I ever have made my first appointment at Uptiv Health? But most importantly, would I be healthy and feel somewhat normal like I do now?
Sometimes I find myself looking back at my past self and feeling sorry for her. She had been so sick with such little support from her doctors. Not only did I gain a better support system from my rheumatologist office, but I also gained in-person support, online/phone support, a personal care coordinator who even schedules my doctor’s appointments for me, and nurses who know me on a deeper level than most, who want the best for me and will do anything to make sure that I’m feeling my best. I am grateful to Uptiv Health for providing so much more support than I ever could have imagined.
Learning to Understand and Manage My Triggers and Symptoms
Having Lupus means becoming familiar with words like “flare,” which occurs when symptoms abruptly worsen, and “remission,” which occurs when symptoms lessen, is essential to living with lupus. I’ve learned to pay close attention to my body and modify my lifestyle and activities according to how I feel each day.
The most important things I have learned two years post-diagnosis, and six years total with the disease are what my triggers are and what causes my body to “flare”. Since every person is different and doctors are busy with hundreds of patients, my rheumatologist couldn’t tell me exactly what my triggers were, so it was up to ME to find and understand them. I started paying attention to what was happening in my life a few days/weeks leading up to a flare. After a few months and several flares, I started noticing that a lot of my flares occurred during the summer, and my remission periods were longer during the fall and winter. Interesting. A quick Google search told me that a common trigger among many Lupus patients is the sun… ah, BINGO! Now, the answer here is simple. Stay out of the sun. And honestly, it can be that easy for some. Unfortunately for me, I love being outside in the summer. I love swimming, I love taking walks, and I enjoy pretty much everything that will send me into a flare. Thankfully, after three years, two rheumatologists, and two oral medications that were a trial and fail, my rheumatologist suggested the one thing that’s worked the best for me. Benlysta.
Health, Happiness, and Life Beyond Lupus
I can say happily and confidently today that I am living a life I never imagined possible immediately following my Lupus diagnosis. In the last two years, I’ve spent more months than I’ve ever thought possible in “remission” and my flares have become shorter and less intense. There are two things I give credit to for drastically improving my life: Uptiv Health and Benlysta. After receiving my infusions at my rheumatologist’s office for the first three months, I moved to Uptiv Health where I now refer to my infusion days as “my relaxation days”. I get to spend a few hours a month without any interruptions, in a private suite, with my favorite snacks and a cold Diet Coke, while watching my current favorite show on one of the many streaming services Uptiv offers. Beyond the snacks, drinks, and heated blankets, my nurses at Uptiv who’ve all come to know me on a personal level provide me with a sterile but comfortable environment, a quick and painless IV placement, and a bag full of medication that has given me my quality of life back.
Each month I look forward to chatting with my nurses, relaxing in my private suite, and drinking my diet coke, but most of all, I can look forward to the other 30 days of the month as they are now spent filled with energy, life, and happiness. Lupus is hard. No days are easy. But thanks to Uptiv, infusions, and my rheumatologist, my life is SO much more than just Lupus.
Conclusion
At Uptiv, we understand that living with Lupus is about more than just managing symptoms—it’s about reclaiming a sense of normalcy and finding joy again. For every patient, the journey through diagnosis, treatment, and self-discovery is unique, but no one should have to travel it alone. By providing individualized support, attentive care teams, and a nurturing environment, we aim to help our patients not just survive but truly thrive. Stories like this remind us why we do what we do: to bring comfort, understanding, and hope to those who need it most, one infusion, one conversation, and one day at a time.
If you’re interested in learning more about the life-changing experience of receiving your infusions with Uptiv Health, contact us and see how we can help.
