Chronic Hives-Personal Narrative Analysis

My graduation year marks my tenth year living with chronic hives. The allergic reactions started when I was seven and immediately the doctors put me on a prescription antihistamine. Living with chronic hives is hard. Today I take three different high-dosage prescriptions with almost impossible to overcome side effects ranging from extreme drowsiness to hallucinations. The worst of the condition arrived sophomore year when my hives worsened as reactions appeared even after taking my medicine. I went to several specialists who suggested I start a series of tests transforming my life into an uneven balance between doctor’s visits and school. After months of excessive absences, the doctors told me that my hives might be a symptom of an autoimmune disorder.
The doctors could not tell whether I had lupus or not instead they said to watch out for a list of symptoms and continue taking my antihistamine cocktail. This uncertainty in my health is not an obstacle that I can physically overcome, rather one that I learned to accept. It became my motivation, as I did everything I could to keep up with school and found ways to give back to my community. I learned to get work ahead of time, ask for help, and coordinate study sessions before taking my medicine. I explored new clubs like the student leadership team, to ensure that if I was diagnosed with lupus or any other disorder that I could make an impact before it was too late. I even took on leadership positions such as Editor in Chief of the school paper, preparing for my future even as my present is uncertain. Living with an undiagnosed disorder is not just hard, it’s scary and at times disheartening, but it also motivated me to do something with my life and my community. I am who am I because of my