Everyone who has something awful and unexpected happen to them probably asks ‘Why me?’ I guess it really didn’t matter how fit or healthy I tried to be. It was mostly (maybe completely) out of my control.

There are moments I feel bitter about my inability to control my health, but those moments are generally fleeting. More often, I feel great waves of grief for everything I have already lost and all the things I probably will lose. It’s overwhelming. But I’ve never really felt shocked that I developed an autoimmune disease.

If we’re looking at who gets autoimmune diseases and how I fit into that picture…

1. I am a woman
   Roughly 80% of people diagnosed with autoimmune diseases are women.
2. I have a family history of autoimmune issues
   Close relatives in my family have a variety of different autoimmune illnesses. Clearly we have some genetic factors in play.
3. I have a history of PTSD and anxiety from a teenage trauma
   Stress is a known factor in the development of autoimmune malfunction and I believe it to be part of my picture.

Generally, autoimmune diseases are becoming more common and prevalent. Studies estimate that about 10% of the world population has an autoimmune disease.

So, basically – why not me?

Sometimes things just happen and you never get to know the why. No matter how perfectly you care for your health, a lot of it just comes down to luck of the draw.