Living with Lupus: Laura Louis’ Story of Resilience
Laura’s Journey of Resilience with Lupus
One day, back in October 2014, Laura Louis of Abbotsford, B.C., got out of her relaxing evening bath and noticed that her chest appeared to be miscolored. In her late 30s, Laura initially dismissed the purple discoloration of her breasts as an allergic reaction. However, as the days passed, an infection began to develop.
“I went to the walk-in clinic and was given allergy medication,” says Laura. “But, nothing seemed to help.”
By December, Laura’s chest was inflamed, irritated and had open wounds. She returned to her family doctor and had biopsies conducted.
“He told me it was allergies, and I kept telling him there is no way, over and over.”
Again, Laura was prescribed allergy medication that did not settle her symptoms.
In January 2015, her family doctor finally ruled out allergies and decided to run an Antinuclear Antibody (ANA) test. Unsurprisingly to Laura, it came back positive, and she was diagnosed with lupus.
“I had been researching everything,” says Laura. “So, I knew what it was before they even told me. Nonetheless, it was still gutwrenching.”
The fear began to set in immediately. When Laura was eight, her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She saw firsthand how challenging living with a health condition is. Laura says, “All I thought was, when am I going to die?”
She was referred to a rheumatologist, who encouraged her to have a biopsy conducted on her breast. Although hesitant, she went through with the testing and was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD).
“I have about 10 doctors now because it affects my heart, my spleen, and my blood levels,” she says. “It’s hard to manage, and it’s very frustrating because you get no answers.”
After being diagnosed, Laura had a very high blood platelet count. Concerned it may be a blood clot, her doctors decided to investigate further.
“It turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” says Laura, as the MRI revealed she had a tumour in her uterus.
She successfully had a hysterectomy and continued to manage her never-ending list of symptoms. Regardless of the hardships life kept throwing her way, Laura kept a positive attitude; she felt very lucky even to be alive.
That was until October of 2024.
“I didn’t realize how sick I was,” she reflects.
Laura had the biggest health scare of her life and ended up in the hospital for three and a half weeks. Her lupus appeared to be completely out of control, sending her body into some sort of shock.
“I guess it was a big flare happening. We are still trying to figure it out.”
For the past year, she has been in and out of the hospital constantly – and is still trying to understand what exactly is going on with her body.
For Laura, one of the most disheartening and frustrating things about being ill is having to educate emergency room doctors about lupus and MCTD. But, on the flip side, trials and tribulations have taught Laura how to stand up for herself in medical settings. This is something she feels she would have never done otherwise.
“It has been really difficult, but I also understand it’s not a disease that can be fully controlled, and things go up and down,” she says.
Fortunately, Laura has a great relationship with her rheumatologist, who always advocates for her and her health.
“I have had one of the best rheumatologists you could think of in B.C.,” she says.
“Right from our first session, he put me on meds.”
Her family and friends, too, have been incredibly supportive, even if they don’t totally understand what it is like. To this day, Laura is private about her condition and prefers not to disclose all of her ailments as she doesn’t want to stress out her loved ones or be perceived differently by coworkers.
Laura’s work is her life’s passion. As a mental health officer for Correctional Services Canada, she works with patients with mental health issues who are incarcerated at a federal penitentiary.
“I absolutely love the field I work in. It drives me,” she continues. “A lot of people don’t know how much perseverance it takes when you are sick. Some days, I am crawling on the floor, but I don’t want to take time off or disability. I want to work.”
At 50, Laura is working towards a PhD in Forensic Psychology online at Grand Canyon University. Before her Phd, she completed her Master’s at Adler University within eight months. Furthering her education and growing her career is something she has found purpose in, especially because she can work towards her degree at her own pace. She also feels very grateful, despite her lupus being active and unstable.
“Other people have died very quickly from lupus,” she says. “But, I’m still here. I can share my story of who I am.”
Let’s Talk Lupus: Conversations with Macenzie
Each month, Let’s Talk Lupus: Conversations with Macenzie brings you inspiring stories from Canadians living with lupus. Through these interviews, Macenzie, a Toronto-based journalist and writer diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in 2017, shines a light on the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of those navigating life with lupus.
If you’d like to share your story, please email ariana.ranjbar@lupuscanada.org.
