Doctor Did What?! This Simple Medical Error Changed Carrie Ann Inaba’s Life

There isn’t an error in the medical field that doesn’t have its consequences. Definitely not when you’re dealing with human lives. Unfortunately, some of these errors may have far-reaching consequences and probably result in loss of life.

Any error in the medical field has its consequences

Luckily for Carrie Ann Inaba, her doctor’s error wasn’t a seriously grave one. The medic forgot to inform her of her diagnosis, leaving her in the dark about her condition. While she knew that she had an autoimmune condition, the doctor didn’t come out clearly to tell her she had lupus.

“Not My Chart”

Inaba had been found to be both anemic (iron deficiency anemia) and autoimmune six years ago, necessitating frequent hospital visits. In a recent appointment for a colonoscopy, the 51-year-old media personality happened to look at her chart, immediately telling those attending to her that it wasn’t hers.

Her reaction wasn’t at all off the charts; you’d act the same if you saw a condition that you’ve never been diagnosed with listed on your medical history, wouldn’t you? It was then that the medics confirmed the diagnosis, informing their patient that she had unknowingly been living with lupus for six years.

And although we might have said that the error wasn’t grave, this doesn’t mean that it didn’t have its consequences on this patient.

Lupus, for those in the dark, is an autoimmune condition where your immune system recognizes your tissues and organs as foreign, hence attacking them as they would do any other pathogen. The condition has no cure yet, although drugs to relieve its symptoms are available.

One of the factors that aggravates lupus is UV light, and you do know that sunlight is nothing but rays of UV, don’t you? With no knowledge of her condition, Inaba had no problem going out in the sun, causing flare-ups unknowingly. With the lady being from Hawaii, basking in the sun is one of her favorite pastimes, but she now has to leave it all behind.

Now that she knows exactly what’s ailing her, Inaba has admitted to having to make lots of changes, with shunning sunlight being the most significant one of them. She is also done with diet coke, among other things.

She cherished spending time outdoors

Not Easy at All

All the same, making these huge changes hasn’t been as easy as it sounds. For someone who cherished spending most of her time outside, staying indoors hasn’t been a piece of cake for the media personality. But she’s got to do what she’s got to do, right?

Even before her lupus diagnosis, Inaba has always been an open book about her health. Earlier in the year, she revealed that she thought her symptoms were signs of aging. How wrong she was!

With the diagnosis, the celebrity says that she now feels she’s got her life back. It must be depressing living with a condition you know nothing about, right? Symptoms hitting you left, right, and center, and you’re none the wiser.

She’s better equipped to take care of herself

Now, Inaba feels that she’s well equipped to take better care of herself. She adds that the condition has made her realize that regular visits to the doctor are important if you want to lead a healthy life, and that she takes it as a blessing in disguise. After all, there’s always a silver lining to everything.