Julie Reid, a Florida woman, had everything going for her. She worked as a gymnastics teacher at a gym and was looking forward to her future. Fast-forward to three years later, and Reid is afraid to leave the house.
Reid began breaking out into hives all over her face and body for an unexplainable reason. Then doctors discovered the cause was her sweat and tears. It's a rare immunological condition called cholinergic urticaria, which makes her skin hypersensitive to emotional stress and exercise.
"I'm allergic to myself," she said. "It's torture living like this, it's torture. I just feel like a monster now."
Reid has gained 100 pounds from her depression, is afraid to go out due to constant stares, and had to sell all of her belongings to pay for health care. Reid is courageously sharing her story so she will no longer feel like she has to hide.
Reid was denied disability benefits when courts declared the disease — which forced her to quit her job — does not affect her life. The 29-year-old began documenting her life and is raising money to pay for her medical expenses on GoFundMe.
"I went from being a gymnast and a dancer, to not being able to walk through the grocery store during the day without receiving hurtful stares," Reid said. "It is just as emotionally painful as it is physically."
According to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, cholinergic urticaria begins and ends suddenly, although there is no way to predict when it will start or go away. The only treatment is antihistamines.
Please SHARE Reid's story on Facebook to help raise awareness about cholinergic urticaria.
