Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridget Luebbers
Hi Bridget, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
After receiving a life changing diagnosis of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) – a rare kidney disease- when I was just a senior in high school I went on to college. Throughout my college journey – which started at SDSU- I battled kidney disease, even taking time away from school two times to receive kidney transplants – both of which I lost the new kidney to recurrence of the FSGS.
But I was able to earn my degree and start working in my field of study, Political Science. I worked in and around the California State Capitol for many years while juggling life on dialysis as well. It was in 2015 that my illness became too much to handle and working was no longer an option. I grieved the loss of my freedom and independence as I had to leave my career, move back to southern California and in with my parents.
I had largely kept my health journey to myself, so it was this point I decided it was time to open up about all I had fought through. I needed to regain a sense of control of my life and pull myself out of a deep hole of depression. I started my website ChronicallyBridget.com at this time to share my story with others.
I also started to grow my social media presence as a voice of the chronically ill. I wanted people to know they weren’t alone in their struggles and to break the mold of only showing the shiny, happy, curated side of life. The response I received was overwhelming as people found this to be an invitation to share their struggles with me too. I have since grown an amazingly supportive community who open up, share their struggles, their wins, and know we are in this together.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a long, rough, and bumpy road with plenty of hurdles. From having to take drop out of school mid semester multiple times to deal with my health issues, to ultimately giving up my career, I have had a lot of disappointments.
Some of the hardest times were right after I received each kidney transplant and knew almost immediately that my kidney disease had returned and the new kidney would fail soon.
The emotional rollercoaster of the highest highs thinking you would be healthy again and off of dialysis to lowest lows of being repeatedly back in the hospital as your body failed you.
I would always get myself back on the right path just to take another detour. I tried to do everything I could to stay healthy but my body just would not cooperate.
I have battled with mental health issues as well. There have been times when I was absolutely sure I could not go on. That things would never change, and never get better. Times when I wanted it all to end. I’m not really sure how I moved through that, but I am beyond grateful I did because it has lead me to where I am today.
I am happily living in San Diego again, independent, and while I am on dialysis three times a week, I am not in and out of the hospital. I have had stops and starts with sharing my story. Sometimes it’s too painful, and I am too exhausted to connect with anyone. Somehow I always find my way back.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I have used my experiences with kidney disease and started advocating for others in similar positions. I share my story to connect with others and let them know they can survive hard things. I work with non-profits promoting research and fundraising for rare kidney disease and overall kidney health. I have a unique view because I have actually lived through this. One moment of my work I was particularly proud of was presenting in front of a pharmaceutical company, explaining why their work was important. Why what they do matters. I am able to put a face, a name, and a story to a disease. I am able to share the humanity behind their work. I continue to write about what I have gone, and continue to go through. Through this work I have been able to testify in front of the FDA, lobby Congress for more research, and be a face of Medicaid showing how it keeps me alive, and prove that even though many people are disabled we have value and worth to society.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Connection matter to me most. I felt so alone in much of my journey, when I really wasn’t. So many people were struggling with similar battles. Writing about my struggles, advocating for others like me, and moving research forward provides me the greatest sense of worth. More than I think I ever would have if I had a healthy body, and my life had taken me on the easy road. The friendships I have made along the way have been life saving for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://chronicallybridget.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/chronicallybridget
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/chronicallybridget
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chronicallybridget
- Other: https://tiktok.com/chronicallybridget
