Brianna Lopez
So my name is Brianna Lopez, im 23 years young. Ive had symptoms since I was about 16, at first my doctor’s back then didnt think much of me being in pain, just put me on ibuprofen for a while, & when I told them it wasnt helping they thought I just was after pain pills I guess. Im from a small town called Espanola, in New Mexico, well known for its drug problems, so they just dismissed it along with everyone else. I finally moved got a new doctor, got pregnant with my first child at 19, & flareups came back stronger with it, finally did an xray after, that doctor told me I had mild arthritis, & it was nothing to worry about, so I didnt. By the time I had my second baby, I was miserable. Somedays I couldnt even walk or limped getting out of bed, so I got a new doctor, and she did CT scans MRIs and blood work right away. She thought I had Lupus, Everything came back for A.S. everyday is a struggle, im a single mom of two beautiful baby girls and im working 2 jobs to do it on my own. I graduated college and work in a pharmacy, my knowledge of what these medications scare me from taking anything, so at this point my mind is my own nemesis with my treatment. But I am determined to fight this as long as I can before it consumes me, im still so young! I wish I didnt have this! 
New Mexico, United States of America
The Faces Of Ankylosing Spondylitis 
Dear Brianna,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie