THE 10TH ANNUAL FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLIES
Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories
Flight of the Butterflies, Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories is a lupus awareness campaign sharing stories of the brave lupus warriors. Many don’t understand lupus until they hear the walk of a warrior. Flight of the Butterflies, Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories is dedicated to sharing those stories in May for lupus awareness month.
Flight of the Butterfly Tonya Hinton-Green
Tonya: Taking Back Control Of Her Lupus Symptoms
In November of 1995, I was celebrating my 22nd birthday. It should have been an exciting time in my life. I was beginning my career and leaping into adulthood, but something felt off. I was weak and I had no energy.
My family decided to take me to the emergency room. It was there that the doctor diagnosed me with Lupus. Now, I understand how rare it is to receive a diagnosis so quickly. From there, I was sent to a rheumatologist for help, but I wasn’t getting any better.
I essentially became an invalid. I was totally bedridden. I couldn’t keep food down. Out of desperation, I sought care from a different rheumatologist. A new perspective and new medications made a tremendous difference. Within a year, I was back at work and resuming some of my regular activities.
My medications changed through different phases in the first four years following my initial diagnosis. Then, I became pregnant with my daughter, and issues with my health began to take a turn for the worse. The only medication that I could take during my pregnancy was a high-dose steroid, which caused skyrocketing weight gain.
Unbearable migraines took over. No matter what I did, I couldn’t find relief. In 2010, I had been climbing the corporate ladder and had graduated with my bachelor’s degree. But, my migraines became so bad that I lost my job. I was completely sidelined, frustrated, and in dire need of help.
This was a turning point for me. I wanted to learn to regain control of my health. I educated myself about my disease. I became an ambassador for my local chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America. I led support groups and self-help groups. Eventually, I became curious about holistic health and how nutrition and supplements could help manage my lupus symptoms.
It was around this time that I heard about Mymee, a program that combines health coaching and trigger identification to help eliminate autoimmune disease symptoms. I learned through my health coach the aspects of my diet and environment that were contributing to my lupus symptoms. I learned so much.
Since Mymee, it has become part of my daily routine to track my eating habits, water intake, activities, and autoimmune symptoms. I stay on top of what goes into my body and am empowered to avoid things that trigger my flares.
Beyond helping me understand my triggers, my health coach suggested other means for improving my well-being. Supplements, stress management techniques, positive affirmations, and improvement of sleep hygiene have all helped. I’ve learned how to move better and be better.
Lupus In Color is excited to present Tonya’s story to the world. As a Lupus Warrior she is actively promoting lupus awareness and wearing the armor of strength in doing so.
Lupus In Color Salutes Tonya. YOU ARE BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, AMAZING and STRONG!
YOUR BUTTERFLY WINGS ARE FLUTTERING, YOUR CHIN IS UP, YOUR ARMS ARE EXTENDED AND YOUR CHEST IS OUT! FLY ON BUTTERFLY!
FLY ON!
PLEASE SHARE Tonya Hinton-Green’s FLIGHT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND START HER BUTTERFLY JOURNEY SPREADING LUPUS AWARENESS!
#LupusInColor #ButterfliesofHope #FlightoftheButterflies #Brave #Courageous #Strong #SpreadLupusAwareness #LupusWarriorStories
