The Dual Diagnosis Diaries: 💜 When a Simple Cold Becomes Anything But Simple

Dear Diary,

This weekend, I took a little road trip to Oakland to celebrate my cousin’s daughter’s first birthday.

A first birthday! A milestone worth celebrating with family, laughter, and love.

What I didn’t anticipate was coming home with more than memories.

And no, Diary, I’m not talking about leftover birthday cake. 🙄

When I arrived, I learned that the birthday girl and her mother were sick with what was described as a cold or possibly the flu.

Immediately, the logical part of my brain said, Kia, you know better. Keep your distance.

But the part of me that loves family gatherings wanted to enjoy the celebration.

Because sometimes, I just want to show up for the people I love without conducting a full medical risk assessment before entering the room.

Unfortunately, my body doesn’t always appreciate my social calendar.

And this weekend was about to remind me of that.

From a Sore Throat to a Breathing Scare

On the drive home, I noticed my throat was slightly sore.

Nothing too alarming at first.

Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the drive. Maybe my throat was just irritated.

But the following morning?

Oh, Diary. We had a situation.

I woke up with a severely sore throat and difficulty breathing.

And not the I walked up a flight of stairs and need a minute kind of difficulty.

I’m talking about the kind that makes you seriously consider whether you need to go to the hospital.

I reached for my albuterol inhaler, hoping it would provide some relief.

Then I tried a nebulizer treatment.

And after all that?

I still sounded like I had just run 20 miles and was desperately trying to catch my breath.

Twenty miles, Diary. TWENTY.

And I hadn’t even left the house. 🙄

Now, anyone who knows me knows I am not a fan of taking medication unless absolutely necessary.

Between Crohn’s Disease, Myasthenia Gravis, and everything else my body has decided to add to the medical résumé, I already feel like I have a pharmacy attached to my name.

But at this rate, I could see a Walgreens run in my near future.

The only problem?

I needed to find enough energy to actually get there.

Because apparently, getting dressed and leaving the house had become an Olympic event.

But beneath the humor was something much more serious.

I was genuinely concerned about my breathing.

When you’ve already experienced respiratory complications, struggling to catch your breath despite using your usual treatments isn’t something you can simply brush aside.

Although my initial instinct was to monitor my symptoms and see how I felt the following day, I also knew severe breathing difficulty could require emergency medical attention.

And with my medical history, waiting for things to improve wasn’t necessarily a safe gamble.

Because sometimes, what starts as a sore throat becomes something much more complicated.

When Your Body Doesn’t Have the Luxury of a Simple Cold

For many people, catching a cold means a few uncomfortable days, some tissues, cough drops, soup, and extra sleep.

For me, it comes with an entirely different set of concerns.

I live with Crohn’s Disease and MuSK-positive Myasthenia Gravis.

And MG doesn’t exactly play nicely with respiratory infections.

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease that interferes with communication between nerves and muscles, causing weakness that can worsen with activity.

When the muscles responsible for breathing or swallowing become affected, the consequences can be serious.

Respiratory infections are a recognized trigger for worsening MG symptoms and, in severe cases, a myasthenic crisis.

And considering my history of vocal cord paralysis and diaphragm paralysis, breathing has already been a challenge for me without adding a possible respiratory infection to the mix.

So when I wake up struggling to breathe, my first thought isn’t simply, Oh great, I caught a cold.

Instead, my mind starts running through possibilities.

Is this asthma?

Is my MG acting up?

Is a respiratory infection making everything worse?

Or is something else going on entirely?

And the frustrating part is not always knowing which condition is responsible.

Because when you live with multiple chronic illnesses, symptoms don’t exactly arrive wearing name tags.

Although that would certainly make things easier. 🙄

Not Every Cold Is Just a Cold

One thing I’ve learned throughout this journey is that having an autoimmune disease doesn’t automatically mean someone is immunocompromised.

Autoimmune diseases involve the immune system mistakenly attacking healthy tissues or interfering with normal bodily functions.

Some treatments used to manage autoimmune conditions can also alter immune function and increase susceptibility to certain infections.

But the risks vary depending on the individual, their diagnosis, and their treatment.

For someone with Myasthenia Gravis, the concern isn’t necessarily just catching an infection.

It’s also what that infection might trigger.

An illness that causes congestion and fatigue in one person could worsen muscle weakness in someone with MG.

And when respiratory muscles are already affected, that possibility deserves serious attention.

The same illness can affect two people very differently.

That’s something I wish more people understood.

Because chronic illness isn’t always visible.

And neither are the risks that come with it.

The Lesson I Already Knew

Here’s the part that makes me shake my head.

I knew better.

The moment I learned there were sick people at the celebration, I knew I needed to be cautious.

But sometimes, when you live with chronic illness, you just want to participate in life without calculating every possible consequence.

You want to celebrate birthdays.

You want to spend time with family.

You want to make memories.

You want to enjoy the moments that make life worth living.

You don’t want every invitation to come with an internal debate about whether having fun today might cost you physically tomorrow.

And I don’t think that’s unreasonable.

I’ve spent enough of my life navigating doctors, treatments, procedures, medications, and symptoms.

Sometimes, I just want to be Kia.

Not Kia with Crohn’s Disease.

Not Kia with Myasthenia Gravis.

Just Kia, enjoying a family celebration.

Unfortunately, chronic illness doesn’t take the weekend off simply because I have plans.

A Little Consideration Goes a Long Way

If there’s one thing I hope people take away from this experience, it’s this:

Please let people know when someone in your household is sick, especially when you’re hosting a gathering.

I’m not suggesting that every birthday party needs to be canceled because someone has the sniffles.

But giving people a heads-up allows them to make informed decisions.

For someone living with chronic illness, a respiratory condition, or a compromised immune system, that information can be particularly important.

What seems like a harmless cold to one person may be far more complicated for someone else.

And yes, I recognize that I made the decision to stay and participate.

I own that decision.

But I also believe awareness and consideration go a long way.

Sometimes, protecting someone you love is as simple as giving them the information they need to protect themselves.

🎵 Music Playing in My Head While Writing This

“Breathe (2 AM)” — Anna Nalick

There is something about the title of this song that feels especially appropriate.

Breathing is one of those things most people rarely think about until it becomes difficult.

For me, it has become something I am constantly aware of.

Something I monitor.

Something I worry about.

And something I will never take for granted.

💭 Reflection Corner

Living with chronic illness doesn’t mean I want to stop living.

I still want road trips, family celebrations, birthday parties, laughter, and memories.

I want to show up for the people I love without feeling like every outing requires a medical contingency plan.

But I also have to recognize that my body has limitations other people may never have to consider.

This weekend reminded me that knowing my risks and respecting them are two different things.

And while I can’t eliminate every possibility of getting sick, I can be more intentional about protecting the health I’ve worked so hard to maintain.

Because the truth is, I don’t want to spend my life afraid of living.

I just wish living didn’t sometimes come with consequences my body isn’t equipped to handle.

As the day progressed, my breathing did improve, and for that, I was grateful.

But improvement didn’t erase the concern I felt earlier.

And I still had questions about what was happening inside my body.

As for me, I went to Oakland to celebrate a first birthday.

I certainly didn’t plan on coming home sounding like I’d completed a marathon.

Especially since the only running I intended to do this weekend was running my mouth with family. 😂💜

Until next time, remember: Not every illness is minor for every body. A little awareness, consideration, and compassion can make a difference.

Founder • Author • Advocate • Future Wellness Coach
Kia Lorice
The Dual Diagnosis Diaries 💜