#NowYouSeeMe—Spotlight on Multiple Autoimmune Diagnoses
The 14 most common autoimmune conditions: Type 1 diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, Multiple sclerosis, Lupus, Inflammatory bowel disease, Addison’s disease, Graves’ disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Myasthenia gravis, Vasculitis, Gastritis, Celiac disease.
If you or a family member are living with more than one disease from this list, you’re not alone. One study reported that 27 percent of people living with type 1 diabetes also have at least one other autoimmune condition.
Like many people with type 1 diabetes know, an autoimmune disease is a condition in which your immune system attacks your body’s own cells. When the immune system “misfires” in this way, it causes damage to healthy cells rather than foreign cells it’s designed to protect against. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for the immune system to “misfire” in more than one way.
#NowYouSeeMe—the Campaign
The #NowYouSeeMe Campaign is shedding light on multiple diagnoses of invisible illnesses during the month of May.
#NowYouSeeMe is inspired by Riding On Insulin Founder Sean Busby, a professional backcountry snowboarder living with type 1 diabetes and lupus. Sean has backcountry snowboarded on all seven continents and he and his wife Mollie live off the grid with their flock of chickens, ducks, turkeys and dogs. Sean is passionate about sharing his stories both with type 1 diabetes + with lupus, including the added challenges of multiple diagnoses and the frustrating nature of invisible illness.
Through the #NowYouSeeMe Campaign, a coalition of nonprofit partners are working together to highlight and share stories from community members with more than one autoimmune disease.
Listen to Sean Busby on Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms talking #NowYouSeeMe!
Follow along at the #NowYouSeeMe hashtag on social media.
More Resources:
- Type 1 + your Thyroid
- T1D + Celiac Disease
- Type 1 – “The Invisible Family Member“
- “It’s Complicated“—T1D + Celiac
#NowYouSeeMe Partners:
Riding On Insulin, Beyond Type 1, JDRF, T1D Exchange, Diabetes Youth Families, American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Research Institute, Diabetes Connections Podcast, Juice Box Podcast
