![BECAUSE OF YOU](https://cdn.magzter.com/1387255861/1670488265/articles/2r1GVsqo41670572539971/BECAUSE-OF-YOU.jpg)
Wincing as I pushed with all my might, the leg press came back down W with a clunk.
Taking a rest in between sets at the gym, my legs felt shaky.
But then someone appeared in front of me.
'Angie?' the man said. "Wow, how are you?'
'Steve?' I said in shock.
Steve and I had gone to school together, but I hadn't seen him since we were 16-20 years later, he was nothing like I remembered.
We got chatting, and there was a spark between us-but saying our goodbyes, I carried on with my workout.
Back at home though, I was swiping through Tinder and I came across Steve!
I swiped right, not thinking much of it and then later, got a message from him.
It was fate.
We started chatting, and soon exchanged numbers round for a drink.
We chatted nonstop and just clicked. But there was something I had to tell Steve.
'I've got lupus,' I confessed to him.
What's that?' he asked me.
I'd been diagnosed with the autoimmune condition when I was 19. My symptoms had been terrifying-I struggled to breathe, I had blood in my urine, mouth, nose and ears, and patches of my hair and my toenails began to fall off.
By the time I got the diagnosis, doctors were concerned that my kidneys were failing, too.
It was a horrific experience and difficult to process.
I had chemo for six months to treat my kidneys which was luckily successful, and restored my kidney function back to 50%-and I was also prescribed tablets that I'd have to take for the rest of my life.
But since then, my health had been stable.
In 2009 I gave birth to my beautiful son, Micah, and I had a successful career in finance.
I was doing well, and things like going to the gym regularly helped to keep me healthy and strong, too-meeting Steve again there was just the cherry on the cake.
Thankfully, my diagnosis didn't fare him.
この記事は Pick Me Up ! の December 20, 2022 (Double Issue) 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Pick Me Up ! の December 20, 2022 (Double Issue) 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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