Kris Aquino says health issue has become ‘more complex,’ bares onset of lupus

MANILA, Philippines – Kris Aquino promised her loved ones that she wouldn’t be a “wimp” during her treatment, given that an onset of lupus has made her health issues “more complex.”

On Sunday, January 21, the media personality shared her first health update in around two months, saying that she’s “felt very weak” since Thanksgiving 2023 in the United States.

“I lost my appetite, my headaches were on a daily basis, the cold weather didn’t bother me at all,” she recalled. In her three-part Instagram post, Kris also shared clips of her getting treatment, as well as photos of her with relatives and friends visiting her in the hospital.

She added that she was reluctant to share her pictures as she had lost some weight and her hemoglobin levels had also gone down.

“The doctors told me that unless I put serious effort into eating real food with high iron content…I would be endangering my heart’s health,” she said. 

Kris said that because of this development, she had to get her blood drawn twice, partly for a thorough autoimmune blood panel. 

“I cried nonstop when I got my blood panel results,” she wrote. “My Churg Strauss/EGPA is still being treated, but to add to it my crest syndrome is now in full active mode.”

Kris continued that she was also exhibiting many symptoms for another autoimmune disease, including high inflammatory numbers, anemia, constant elevated blood pressure at night, and the constant appearance of a “butterfly rash” on her face. 

“It’s highly likely…that I’m at the initial stage of SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) or what’s commonly known as lupus,” she said. 

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, lupus “occurs when the immune system, which normally helps protect the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. It causes inflammation, and in some cases permanent tissue damage, which can be widespread – affecting the skin, joints, heart, lung, kidneys, circulating blood cells, and brain.”

With this, she shared that her doctors had increased some of her medicine dosages. Despite her health journey taking a toll on her, however, Kris declared that her “faith is still strong.” 

“My battle has become more complex. But I promised my sons and my sisters — I won’t be a wimp. And I’m promising all my friends plus all who continue to pray for me: bawal sumuko, tuloy pa rin ang laban (we won’t give up, we’ll continue to fight),” she said. 

In her caption, she also expressed her gratitude for the support that she’s been receiving throughout this ordeal.

“My prayer for more tomorrows. Thank you for the love,” she said. 

In a separate post, she wrote: “2024, please be kind.” 

Since 2018, Kris has been battling a number of autoimmune diseases. She was first diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria and was additionally diagnosed with erosive gastritis and a gastric ulcer in March 2022.

She went to the US in June 2022 to receive treatment for her autoimmune diseases and has been there since.

In August 2023, the 52-year-old shared that she’s “finally on the path to remission.”

In November 2023, she shared positive news about her improving health, with her autoimmune markers slowly showing signs of improvement. – Rappler.com