Kimberly Boddie

In 2020, my health took a total decline. There was a dull pain in my back causing issues with standing up straight. Upon going to a mammogram appointment the tech discovered my breast looked drastically different from the year before. In that instance I needed a 3-D scan. The proper staff wasn't in that day to do the procedure. The level of pain I was experiencing led me to go to the emergency room. After being seen, low potassium was the diagnosis. When following up with my primary care physician, she referred me to a breast cancer specialist whose testing was inconclusive. Her recommendation was to see an ob/gyn specialist. During that appointment with this specialist, he determined I needed further testing. Come to find out, I had a five-pound fibroid that calcified and became embeded in my uterus. This caused my body to believe I was 11 weeks pregnant. He suggested I get surgery, but the person he recommended was going to be out of the country for a month. I located another doctor who was unable to see me for another week. The pain reached a fever pitch. My friend took my mom and me to a different emergency room. I was immediately admitted due to my high blood pressure. My initial consultation led to getting an advocate because I wasn't being heard. After much prayer, an appointment opened up for the first surgeon I was trying to get an appointment with. In March 2020, I had a hysterectomy. My breasts were turning black due to Granuloma Mastitis, and I had a double mastectomy in July 2020. My fingers turned blue in the recovery room, and after fifteen hours of research, Raynaud was detected. The infectious disease doctor informed me that there are still some issues with my blood. She referred me to a rheumatologist. After my first appointment, a lupus panel was run. It was discovered I had discoid lupus, which has progressed to SLE. Dry eye was detected during my eye doctor appointment, hi Sjogren's.

I advocate because I noticed that my pain was not taken seriously while in the hospital initially. After my Uncle called from Florida to my Maryland-based hospital to have someone fight for me, the idea of standing up for myself was realized. Patients have great knowledge of their bodies and should be considered in the diagnosis and treatment plan. Initially, I didn't want to share due to imposter syndrome. The feeling of not being as sick as others I had met. I held a lot in, so they could be heard. Yet I was encouraged by a woman I had met on Instagram who was spreading awareness. I learned my voice mattered. As I began to feel more comfortable sharing the weight of being chronically ill, it lessened.