It was HS all along, she said.
However, a diagnosis was not as easy to come by as one might think.
Finally, in 2009, she and her family went to India to seek some answers.
My symptoms still did not improve, and of course the TB treatment was very hard on my body.
The next year, her symptoms worsened, and she returned to India.
Eventually, a colleague of her endocrinologist had an answer.
You never had tuberculosis.
Im 100% certain, not a doubt in my mind.'
We finally had an answer.
Prior to her health problems, Pooja was a Psychology student pursuing a PhD.
With chronic illness came a completely lifestyle shift, Pooja explained.
I had to withdraw from my undergraduate classes three fall semesters in a row.
Pooja explained that each setback was more demoralizing because it seemed like she would never get her life back.
The biggest misunderstanding is that HS is only skin-deep.
The legacy I want to leave is one of self-compassion and self-love.
But what Ive learned is that my body and I are a team.
Just like my mind didnt ask for this disease, my body didnt ask for it either.
