Lupus: The disease doctors missed until Wambui lost both legs
Teresa Wambui suffered from years of misdiagnoses before discovering she had lupus, a condition that eventually led to the amputation of both her legs. Her story highlights the challenges of diagnosing autoimmune diseases in resource-limited healthcare settings.
Why it matters
This case underscores the critical need for better diagnostic awareness and medical training regarding autoimmune conditions in developing regions.
Teresa Kariuki believes she lives a “normal” life. From her wheelchair, she washes and hangs clothes, cooks, and carries out other household chores without assistance./KNA
Years of unexplained symptoms, misdiagnoses and blood clots eventually led to a devastating discovery for Teresa Wambui.
For Wambui, illness began quietly. As a child growing up in Aguthi Ward, Gichira Sub-location, Nyeri county, she was an ordinary schoolgirl, determined to complete her education.
But in Class Seven, something began to change.
“I started to feel sick. That's when I started to go to the hospital,” Wambui recalls.
The symptoms were difficult to explain. She suffered from bloating and stomach problems and was treated first for ulcers and later for acidity. At times she felt better, only for the symptoms to return.
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