Latest news with #autoimmunedisorder
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote issues ‘tough' update as she opens up about her health condition
CORONATION Street star Georgia May Foote has issues a "tough" update on her "hard to deal with" ongoing health condition. Actress Georgia, 34, who is best-known for playing the role as Katy Armstrong in the hit ITV soap, revealed two years ago that she had been diagnosed with vitiligo. 5 5 5 The soap star has actually had the skin condition - where white spots or patches can be seen in different areas of her body - since 2020. Today the Coronation Street legend gave fans an update on her "tough" journey. The actress took to social media as she opened up on the effects of vitiligo, which is a chronic autoimmune disorder. Sharing a slew of pics which showed how the condition had affected her hands and arms, she wrote a lengthy post which read: " Happy World Vitiligo Day. "If you are new to my page or don't already know, I developed vitiligo in 2020. "This has been one of the craziest journeys I have ever had. I was misdiagnosed for a while before I begged to be seen by a dermatologist, which then took another year. I was then diagnosed with vitiligo. "Vitiligo is a skin condition where my immune systems attacks the melanocytes which produce the melanin in my skin. "This causes white patches all over my body, which continue to spread daily. "They become bigger and show up new places all the time!." Giving fans an update on how she has been doing, Georgia said: "This year has been particularly tough as it has spread onto my face now. I have good days and bad days with the condition! Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote sparks concern as she reveals she's been too ill to eat for five days "Sometimes I'm really down about it and other days I feel very special. "Unfortunately there is no understanding why this happens. ( stress deffo doesn't help in my case ) I have the very annoying side effect of itching! "And until the uk pass the cream Opzelure there will be no way of bringing my pigment back!" The soap star ended with the message with: "People who love me don't give it a second glance. Vitiligo: What are the symptoms? The main symptom of vitiligo is flat, white spots or patches on your skin. Initially, the vitiligo may start as a patch of skin that is paler than the rest. Gradually, the patch will become completely white as the pigment in the skin begins to fade. Vitiligo does not cause discomfort to your skin, such as dryness, but patches may occasionally be itchy, guidance states. "That's all that matters it's a hard thing to deal with, but I am a tough and I will not let it get to me. "I have an amazing family and group of friends who mean the world to me. "Happy world vitiligo day to my gang." In March, Georgia revealed how she is advocating for the NHS to approve the prescription of medical cream, Ruxolitinib, which is reported to help those with the condition. The actress shot to fame in Corrie in 2010, and was on the soap until 2015. She's also known for her appearances in the BBC school drama, Grange Hill, from 2005 for three years.
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Australian swimming legend Michael Klim opens up on devastating battle with rare autoimmune disorder and symptoms he wishes he hadn't ignored
Michael Klim has revealed details about his five-year battle with a rare autoimmune disorder which left him unable to walk - and the symptoms he wishes he took more seriously. The Aussie swimming legend, 47, was diagnosed with the neurological disorder chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) in 2020. The former triple Olympian has spoken openly about the challenging diagnosis, which saw him lose the ability to walk in just six months and left him bedridden. He says he didn't treat the condition with the gravity it deserved when he first got symptoms. 'I neglected a lot of my symptoms at the onset and I think in a very typical male fashion didn't act fast enough,' he told News Corp. 'So, if anything comes out of our chat, I hope it's going to see a doctor even if the symptoms are as simple as getting cold feet when you go to bed or having numbness in your toes or your feet. I neglected some of those. 'I had a great team around me but something that was instilled in me as an athlete was that we push through a lot of our discomforts and I continued to do that even in life after sport, which didn't really lend itself to longevity in life. 'Unfortunately, I had my very heart stop when I lost the ability to walk and I think it took me about two years to come to terms with accepting the fact - or almost, it was like there was a grieving period of two years of accepting the fact that my physical ability may never be the same, I may never be able to walk like a normal person, I will be compromised. 'But finding a new purpose in life - I was always very driven and active and very quantitative in that I was very opportunistic and attending many things and being involved in many projects. CIDP causes the body to attack its own tissue - the myelin sheaths which insulate and protect the nerves - causing weakness and lack of feeling in the arms and legs. Klim says batting the disorder has taught him a lot. 'There was a lot of time of darkness because there is no cure and you're living in a period of uncertainty - not just yourself as a patient, but your entire support network. 'That was the hardest thing. Previously, my injuries - if I had a rotator cuff injury or sprained ankle - I knew the protocol and knew exactly when I'd be back. 'But this has been something different and something new and it's definitely taught me a lot of lessons.' Klim says his rare condition has made him more aware of other people and what they might be going through. 'Let's say 30% of people with CIDP may make a full remission, 30% - where I seem to be fitting at the moment - remain stagnant for the rest of their life, and then 30% of people end up with paralysis, full paralysis or in a wheelchair. 'Even when I wear my braces and I've got my pants on, most people look at me and say, "Gee, you're so fit". 'I've got my upper body and am still trying to look after myself, but you just don't know what hardship people are going through underneath.'
