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Kim Bardin

"Since I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s I have learned..." 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I was diagnosed with Sjögren’s I have learned that just because I have this it doesn’t mean my life is over. I’ve learned to rest on my bad days and make the most of my good days.

My most difficult symptoms are definitely fatigue and joint pain. It’s hard to be tired all the time. I want to be able to keep up with everyone else but my body just won’t allow it. For me, joint pain in the morning is bad. I have to lay in bed at least 30 minutes stretching and moving to get my joints moving. 

Sjögren’s has affected me tremendously. It caused problems with my autonomic nervous system. I had to quit work a year ago because I was falling at work. I’m in the medical field so doing patient care became a problem. It’s hard to accept but I stay positive and remember that it’s not the end of the world. I became a volunteer for the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation so that I could provide words of encouragement and help to others in my area that also suffer from Sjögren’s.

I wish that people realized that not all disabilities are visible. You never know what a person is going through just by looking at them so try to have compassion for others. 

I do have concerns about COVID 19 and Sjögren’s because there still is not a lot of research on this virus. They are not sure how it can affect those with autoimmune diseases. Some of us are on immunosuppressive drugs which can put us at a higher risk. I chose to self quarantine because of the unknown and to keep myself safe. 

My tip for Sjögren’s is to just take it one day at a time. Your going to have bad days but you will also have good. Make the most of those days. Enjoy your family, don’t push yourself and reach out to others that will understand what you are going through.