“The more I learn about autoimmune diseases, the more I realize how much I never knew.”
🎵 The Soundtrack for Today’s Diary Entry
As I sat down to write this diary entry, “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash started playing in my head.
No, the song isn’t about autoimmune diseases. 😂
It simply reminded me that understanding something can completely change the way you see it.
Twenty years ago, I knew almost nothing about autoimmune diseases.
Today, after living with two of them, I find myself wanting to learn everything I can—not just for myself, but for anyone else trying to understand these complicated conditions.
Apparently, my brain has once again volunteered to be today’s DJ. 🎶
🤔 Did You Know?
Did you know there are more than 100 recognized autoimmune diseases?
More than 100.
Yet if someone asked you to name ten of them, could you?
Until I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease over twenty years ago, I probably couldn’t.
Today, I live with Crohn’s Disease and MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis.
Those diagnoses sparked a curiosity I never expected to have.
The deeper I dive into autoimmune diseases, the more fascinated I become by just how complex—and sometimes confusing—the immune system really is.
🦠 What Is an Autoimmune Disease?
Your immune system has one job:
Protect your body from viruses, bacteria, and other harmful invaders.
An autoimmune disease develops when that system mistakes healthy cells for a threat and attacks them instead.
Think of it like a security guard who accidentally tackles the employees instead of the intruder.
That’s not exactly how the job is supposed to work. 😅
Depending on where that attack occurs, the symptoms—and ultimately the diagnosis—can look completely different.
Some autoimmune diseases affect one primary organ.
Others affect multiple organs and body systems.
That’s why no two autoimmune diseases—or people living with them—look exactly alike.
🌎 Autoimmune Diseases Can Affect Nearly Every Part of the Body
Autoimmune diseases don’t all attack the same place.
They can affect the:
- 🧠 Brain and nervous system
- 💪 Muscles
- 🦴 Joints
- 🫁 Lungs
- 🫀 Heart and blood vessels
- 👁️ Eyes
- 🦋 Thyroid
- 🩸 Blood
- 🧬 Skin
- 🫘 Kidneys
- 🍽️ Digestive tract
- 🧪 Liver
- 🦴 Connective tissues
That’s one reason diagnosis can take months—or even years.
The symptoms often appear unrelated until someone finally connects the dots.
In other words…
My immune system clearly didn’t believe in specializing.
It looked at the human body and apparently said,
“Why pick one department when we can submit complaints to several?” 😂
📚 Autoimmune Diseases Come in Many Forms
One of the biggest surprises for me was realizing autoimmune diseases don’t all look alike.
They affect different organs, create different symptoms, and often require different specialists.
Here are just a few examples.
🍽️ Digestive System
- Crohn’s Disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- Celiac Disease
🧠 Brain, Nerves & Muscles
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Dermatomyositis
- Polymyositis
🦴 Joints & Connective Tissue
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus)
- Sjögren’s Syndrome
- Scleroderma
- Vasculitis
🦋 Hormones & Endocrine System
- Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
- Graves’ Disease
- Type 1 Diabetes
- Addison’s Disease
🧬 Skin
- Psoriasis
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Vitiligo
🫀 Blood, Liver & Other Organs
- Pernicious Anemia
- Autoimmune Hepatitis
- Primary Biliary Cholangitis
- Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS)
- Autoimmune Uveitis
These are only a small sample of the more than 100 recognized autoimmune diseases.
🔄 One Diagnosis Doesn’t Always Stay One Diagnosis
One fact surprised me more than almost anything else.
Having one autoimmune disease can increase your risk of developing another.
Researchers estimate that about one in four people living with an autoimmune disease will eventually be diagnosed with at least one additional autoimmune disease—a phenomenon known as polyautoimmunity.
Ironically, I didn’t even know there was a word for it until my friend Steph mentioned it during one of our wonderfully random text conversations.
Naturally, I Googled it.
I remember staring at my phone thinking,
“Wait…there’s actually a name for this?”
There was.
And suddenly my own medical history made a little more sense.
I also remember thinking,
“So we’re just giving my overachieving immune system a fancy medical term now?” 😂
💭 A Personal Reflection
When Crohn’s Disease entered my life, I assumed that was simply the diagnosis I’d spend my life managing.
Years later, MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis reminded me that autoimmune diseases don’t always travel alone.
I wish someone had told me that years earlier.
Not to scare me.
But to prepare me.
These days, when my body decides to introduce a brand-new symptom, I don’t immediately panic.
I simply look toward the ceiling and ask,
“Okay…what are we doing today?” 😂
💜 Why I Shared This
This diary entry isn’t about fear.
It’s about understanding.
If you’ve never heard much about autoimmune diseases before today, I hope you learned something new.
If you’re living with one, I hope this reminded you that you’re part of a much larger community than you may realize.
If you know someone with an autoimmune disease, I hope this gives you a better understanding of what they may be experiencing.
Because every time someone learns what an autoimmune disease really is…
Another misconception disappears.
And that’s how awareness grows.
One conversation at a time.
More than 100 diseases.
One immune system.
Millions of stories.
And if you’ve made it this far…
You now know more about autoimmune diseases than you did a few minutes ago.
I’d call that a pretty good use of your time. 💜
💜 Thank you for taking the time to read this entry from The Dual Diagnosis Diaries.
If this diary entry taught you something new, encouraged you to see autoimmune diseases differently, or reminded you that you’re not alone, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing this diary entry. Your support helps raise awareness about Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, polyautoimmunity, and the realities of living with invisible illnesses.
Together, we can educate, advocate, and remind others that every diagnosis has a story worth telling.
Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜
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