HUC Stories: Living with Lupus

On World Lupus Day, 10 May, we caught up with Samiha Chowdhury, one of our Unscheduled Care Shift Managers and a final-year medical student, who sat down to film a video about her journey with lupus.

While many see Samiha leading shifts or preparing for her medical career, fewer are aware of the hidden challenges she navigates daily. Despite lupus affecting thousands, public awareness remains remarkably low. As Samiha notes, “According to 2026 statistics, 58% of people still don’t know what lupus is.”

Lupus is a complex autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues and organs. Because it can affect almost any part of the body, it is often referred to as an “invisible illness.”

Samiha highlights that the condition is far more than simple exhaustion.

“Lupus is more than ‘just being tired.’ The fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, joint pain, and skin flares can take a huge toll, and because so many symptoms are invisible, it can be difficult to make people truly understand. No two people experience lupus in the same way.”

Living with these symptoms requires constant calculation and foresight. “I have to think about factors most people don’t when making plans,” Samiha explains, “and even when plans are made, something as simple as a sunny day can completely wipe me out.”

Like many living with chronic conditions, Samiha’s path to a diagnosis in 2020 was a difficult one, requiring significant self-advocacy. The physical and mental toll of the disease, and the treatments required to manage it, can be as taxing as the condition itself.

Reflecting on her progress, she shares, “It wasn’t easy getting to where I am now… I post a lot about weightlifting now, but there was a time when even getting changed caused unbearable pain. Gaining weight from prolonged steroid use and constantly attending hospital appointments was also exhausting, both physically and mentally.”

Through a combination of medical support and personal resilience, Samiha has reached a place where she can manage her condition while pursuing a demanding career in medicine. Samiha’s dual perspective as both a patient and a future clinician provides her with a unique level of empathy. She believes her diagnosis has fundamentally changed her approach to healthcare.

“I’ve realised these experiences don’t just shape me as a person, but also the kind of doctor I want to become and the way I advocate for my future patients,” she says.

Ultimately, Samiha refuses to let the condition limit her identity. “Lupus does not define me,” she says. “It’s a part of my story, but it isn’t my entire identity.”

Watch the full video to hear more from Samiha about lupus symptoms and her advice for those navigating similar journeys.

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HUC Stories: Living with Lupus