American Actress Ciena Nelson Reveals Grueling Tale Of Her Skin Disease

#1

Today, if you saw American actress, Ciena Nelson, you'd never guess the marathon of hospital visits she has been through since she was a child. When she was just 5 years old, Ciena was a well-known patient at numerous hospitals. No one could figure out what exactly she was dealing with.

#2

Her skin was constantly itching and she was always fatigued, but doctors couldn't come up with anything. Ciena was having serious outbreaks of eczema. She recalls, "It took forever for doctors to make a diagnosis. The years seemed so long to me when I was little. They always thought that I had some type of eczema or maybe a fungus. But when I was five years old, they determined I had a mix of dermatitis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis."

#3

But that was just the beginning of her challenges. Day after day she suffered from pain and underwent countless therapies. "I felt like a lab rat. Steroids, ointments, medications, experimental treatments - everything was tried before they came up with a diagnosis. And even then it only got a little better."

#4

She's had these symptoms her entire life. It turns out Ciena has an autoimmune disease that causes her body to overproduce skin cells and simultaneously tries to break them down. She can rarely sleep through the night, which doesn't help her exhaustion or stress levels, two things that make her disease worse.

#5

"It's a vicious cycle that keeps getting stronger," said Ciena. Her dream of becoming an actress hasn't made things easier. "When you're surrounded by beautiful people with perfect skin everyday, who are also full of energy, your own dreams quickly seem far away. Especially when everyone thinks that it would be easy if you'd just invest a little more energy." This is part of the reason why Ciena has stayed in the shadows for a long time. But now she's coming into the light: She posts inspiring images on Instagram and gives her followers an idea of what it means to be living with an illness. This photo shows how her skin "feels" even if it looks healthy from the outside.

#6

She didn't have any interest in riding a sympathy wave, so she held back for a long time. But now she is blown away by the reactions she's been receiving. "I was completely surprised to see how many people follow you if you give them a little trust and honesty. Thousands have answered me, given me courage, and revealed their own stories."

#7

These followers mean a lot to Ciena, who has so often been met with a lack of compassion. "Most people just don't understand that my condition can change from one day to the next. Sometimes I'm fine today, and can't work tomorrow. These sorts of diseases are often seen as taboo for actors and actresses - it's hard to find support."

#8

Ciena hopes her story will help to break down these taboos. She offers words of encouragement to her followers: "Even if it's a hard fight. You can win it by not letting yourself get discouraged. Of course it's not fair that we have these diseases, but that doesn't mean that we have to suffer in silence." Ciena wants to see other people believe in themselves and share their stories of illness and recovery out in the open.

What a beautiful and brave woman! We can only wish her more strength and courage going forward. Hopefully her openness has a long-term effect in breaking down stigmas about skin and autoimmune diseases.