The 54-year-old was diagnosed with lupus in her 20s, after being referred to a rheumatologist for wrist pain. Over the years, she has experienced symptoms of overwhelming fatigue, debilitating pain, and recurrent mouth ulcers.
She said: “When I was first diagnosed, there weren’t really any effective treatments. A lot of treatments had side effects that were sometimes worse than the condition itself. It was quite a bleak time, as there hadn’t been many research developments for many years.”
Despite this, Michelle still managed to travel extensively, living in Malaysia for many years. She loves to cook and run. She has a young son and recently she undertook a Master’s in Psychology. While long hours made practicing law too difficult, she has pivoted to a fulfilling career as a part-time law lecturer and a psychologist.
Lupus is a long-term autoimmune condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes and tiredness, as the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body.
In severe cases, inflammation can cause severe damage to the heart, lungs, brain or kidneys, which can be life-threatening. There's currently no cure, but symptoms can improve if treatment starts early.
It was the prospect of helping to find new and better treatments that led Michelle to take part in research – becoming the first person in the UK to join a global study into a new treatment for lupus.
She said: “Lupus was seen as something that was life-limiting. That’s changed and over the last few years – there’s really been an acceleration in terms of research. People are able to live with lupus better and I wanted to be a part of that.”
The trial, which is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), is looking to see if the drug helps reduce disease flare-ups and improves the quality of life for people living with lupus.
By taking part, Michelle also wanted to help ensure that research is more inclusive.
She said: “As a Black woman, I felt that it was important to get involved. We’re all different and how we respond to treatments can vary from person to person. That’s why I think it's really important that people from different ethnic groups are represented in research.”
Watch Michelle's story
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