I almost died because I was in denial

Health: Evelyn Ogolla during the interview at her home Lucky Summer, Nairobi. ON 21/05/2019( Jenipher Wachie, Standard)

As the lupus awareness month ends, Evelyn Ogolla, 30, talks about her battle with the disease which made her visit the hospital countless times.  

 I was first treated for a sore throat in October 2016. The antibiotics I was given at a local chemist did not help much. A few days later, when I was still battling the sore throat, my whole body started swelling. I also developed a rash that ran across my nose and cheeks. I would later learn that it was a butterfly rash that is common in people with lupus. The developments were shocking considering I had been in perfect health all my life. All this started when I was at a good place in my life. I was two months into marriage and in a fulfilling career as a pharmaceutical technologist. To crown my near-perfect life, I was also indulging my love for basketball.  I was truly happy. Then the endless trips to the hospital started, and life as I knew it, changed.