One of the interesting things that happened after I was first diagnosed in 2013 with dermatomyositis was the realization that throughout my entire life I had experienced what were likely several false starts to this disorder. It was fairly common knowledge in my family that I would have issues, whether I was ill for extended periods of time or had symptoms that could not quite be explained. It was for this reason that although I had what might be considered a raw athletic body, I never consistently competed in sports through high school or college, only dabbling here and there. I had a great interest in gymnastics for many years, but stopped as my body became more susceptible to pain and discomfort. A curious way to look at the adage of not judging a book by its cover, I was a capable athlete with a low threshold for my body breaking down. 

Watching the Olympics for me, as with many, is a highlight every four years. The talent in so many different disciplines is an amazing thing to watch. For the first time though, I’m faced with the reality that being an active participant in sports is not on the radar of possibility, at least for a while. Even if I were able to push this disorder to remission, would strenuous athletics be off limits for fear of reactivating a flare?
It makes me ponder how many times in the past I came close to passing the threshold to hit the ‘on switch’ for this autoimmune attack. On nights or days of feeling strangely exhausted after a simple bike ride or a semi-pro football game, how hard did my body have to fight to give me this much time? Whatever the answer, I know there are some with this disease that have known it their entire lives. I had 26 years of sunlight, sports and activity. I’m thankful for that.