February is Rare Disease Month

Rare is many. Rare is strong.

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February 28th, 2023 is Rare Disease Day. This is an international effort to bring awareness to rare diseases and those who are diagnosed with a rare disease. You may be asking yourself, what is a rare disease? A disease is considered "rare" when fewer than 1 out of every 2000 people are diagnosed with that disease. Takayasu's Arteritis affects less than 10 out of every million people worldwide. (This makes me feel so special). And it is more prevalent in young Asian women, although anyone can be diagnosed with Takayasu's Arteritis - men, women, children, any age, any ethnicity, etc. TAK, like many autoimmune disorders, is an invisible disease. That means that I may be very sick but look okay on the outside. Also, many autoimmune disorders exhibit similar vague symptoms. I am fortunate to have access to several University Hospitals just 20 miles away. I was also able to travel to Mayo Clinic for my diagnosis.

My story of my diagnosis with Takayasu's Arteritis can be found in this blog post. Here are some stories of others who have been diagnosed with Takayasu's Arteritis.

Stay tuned throughout the month for other Rare Disease and Takayasu's Arteritis information.