Romancing Takayasu's Arteritis

THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY. Romancing Takayasu’s Arteritis is not about wooing a Japanese neighbour’s cat with a Greco-Latin name. It is about learning to exist with a rare, potentially fatal disease that is a nightmare to diagnose; has no specific cause; and no conclusive treatment. It is also the kind of disease that people discreetly Google, before accepting that it exists and you are not trying to be funny. Takayasu’s Arteritis is an idiopathic disease. The body’s immune system, for no rhyme or reason, decides to inflame the entire aortic arterial network and forgets to stop. Besides little inconveniences, the gradual, irreversible damage can squeeze blood flow to vital organs, cause an aortic split, and literally break your heart. Modern medicines and surgery offer great support, but the treatment usually terminates with the patient. The drugs that keep you well also make your life hell. It is a life-altering condition that can become extremely despairing. Or the sheer absurdity of the situation may, eventually, become amusing. A true blessing when fated to traverse with jeopardy…is to pack some sense of humour. This is the story of my blessings so far.