What It's Like to Have Immunodeficiency

A woman takes you through her personal experience of living with immunodeficiency.

Read the full transcript:

My body cannot fight for itself.

Living With Immunodeficiency

Immunodeficiency is something you can be born with or develop through another condition or medication.

It is exhausting and painful to go through every day hoping these sniffles aren’t the sign of yet another cold or something more serious.

You do everything you can to make sure you don’t get sick.

But are never surprised when you do because it happens so often.

You grow tired of some people treating you like you’re dying and other people brushing this off as temporary and curable.

It is frustrating to appear healthy while your body is struggling to fight the viruses and bacteria attacking it.

Immunodeficiency in itself is “invisible.”

But the consequences of having a lowered immune system aren’t.

You can see it in frequent colds and sicknesses.

In the infusions received each week.

In managing dozens of vitamins and medications.

In the frequent but routine doctor’s visits.

And in the unfocused attention when you can socialize.

Immunodeficiency is always there.

Even on the good days you are always pushing through the symptoms that never seem to go away.

Telling someone with an immunodeficiency you “hope they’re cured soon” is not helpful.

Instead, support them when they are sick.