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Autoimmune Disease

Decent Essays

The Human Body is an oasis of life. Still, every waking moment of our lives, our bodies endure vicious attacks. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, microbes, toxins, and parasites - I like to think of them as invaders from the outside world. Each invader is equipped with its own specialized method of attack. On a microscopic level, our bodies fight a life-long war. As the battle rages, our immune system kicks in and protects us against the perils of illness. The immune system is not made up of one particular tissue or organ. Instead, an arsenal of defense cells; including lymphocytes, bone marrow, and leukocytes join forces to keep us healthy. Besides the occasional times we get caught in the crossfire with a common cold, a healthy immune system keeps …show more content…

There are more than a hundred autoimmune diseases. There are approximately 50 million people living with some form of an autoimmune disease in America. Depending on the type, an autoimmune disease can cause many different parts of your body to go under siege. Some of the most common autoimmune diseases are Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid arthritis. The current medical system does not recognize Autoimmune illnesses as diseases of the immune system. Instead, they are classified as diseases of the specific organ that is affected. For example, someone with Celiac disease would see a gastroenterologist instead of someone who specializes in immune disorders. Even if a disease falls under the broad umbrella of immune disorder, there is not a unified medical treatment in order. each specialist has their own method of approach. My friend Mia Washington was diagnosed with Graves' disease at the tender age of 14. It was a frightening moment for her single working mother. As Mia's friend, it was a shock to me too. The odds weren't in our favor. Mia was always a sickly child, but soon after her diagnosis, she began to …show more content…

Even so, we are not burdened with the reminder of our impending demise. The millions of people living with an autoimmune disease do not have this luxury. (Along the way, their bodies went rogue and began attacking the very cells designed to keep them alive.) In school, we learned about different kinds of literary conflict- Man vs. Man, Man vs. Society, Man vs. Nature, and lastly Man vs Self. Man vs Self is distinguished from the rest as a vast and complex internal struggle. In this scenario, a character must overcome his own nature in order to reach a goal in his or her life. People living with autoimmune disorders have to deal with self-conflict every day of their lives. They are tormented with the internal combat to sustain life as their bodies' intentionally decline. Even with this lingering burden of their progressing demise, they still wake up and choose to fight every day. We all have something in our lives that makes life hard. Whether that be a citizenship status, a physical disability or a life-threatening illness; we can overcome. That is the greatest lesson we can all learn from Mia and other people affected by

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