Brie Hyde loved animals and the outdoors from a young age and trained at the University of Vermont. After college she found her calling in dairy farming, starting a small Connecticut farm in 2004. As a first-generation female farmer, she embraced the physically demanding work and the long hours that came with it.
Not long into running the farm, Brie began to have persistent pain in her hands. At first she assumed the discomfort was just from the repetitive, strenuous labor of milking and farm chores. Over time the pain spread to her feet, ankles, knees and hips. Summers brought fevers, and she developed profound fatigue that didn’t improve with rest.
Her doctors initially suspected Lyme disease, a tick-borne bacterial infection that can cause joint pain and flu-like symptoms. Brie received courses of antibiotics and brief steroid treatments that would ease symptoms temporarily, only for them to return. She recalls rubbing her aching hands constantly and, at times, seeing her feet turn purple. She also noticed a lace-like pattern under her skin and an intense sensitivity to sunlight — going out in the sun felt like being burned from the inside out.
When Brie returned to her primary care doctor because the symptoms were worsening, blood tests revealed a high antinuclear antibody (ANA) level, a marker that prompted referral to a rheumatologist. There she received a diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.
Getting to that diagnosis was a relief but also a shock. Many people, Brie included, had never heard of lupus before their own diagnosis. It’s not uncommon for lupus to be mistaken for other conditions; research shows that the route to an accurate lupus diagnosis can take several years because symptoms overlap with many other illnesses and test results vary by person.
Treatment was not straightforward. Brie tried standard lupus medications — prednisone and hydroxychloroquine — but experienced a severe allergic reaction to hydroxychloroquine. Other medications produced debilitating side effects or failed to control her disease. The trial-and-error nature of treatment left her physically drained and emotionally uncertain about continuing therapy. For a time she considered stepping away from medications altogether because they seemed to trade one set of problems for another.
Her doctor urged her not to stop, explaining that controlling lupus is about protecting organs and preventing long-term damage, not only relieving outward symptoms. That advice helped Brie keep trying new options.
In March 2023 her rheumatologist started her on Saphnelo infusion, a biologic therapy that finally produced a meaningful improvement. Brie describes the moment as transformative: once the treatment began to work, she realized just how unwell she had been. Over the months that followed she regained strength and activity she had feared were lost. She returned to working on the farm, began taking family vacations again, and felt able to participate more fully in daily life.
Despite improvements, lupus remains part of her life. Brie still experiences flares and has learned to respect limits to avoid triggering them. Sun exposure is a continual concern — even brief time in sunlight can precipitate a bad flare — so she plans workdays, travel and social events carefully. Living with an illness that affects the immune system also means weighing risks more often, from large gatherings to routine activities.
The emotional impact was as significant as the physical toll. Brie had to reconcile the loss of the active, independent identity she had always associated with herself. For a period she questioned whether she could continue farming. Over time, surviving and adapting to lupus reshaped her sense of resilience; she says the experience ultimately made her feel stronger and more determined.
Advances in lupus care are expanding options for patients. New self-administered biologic treatments — including once-weekly pen devices for certain therapies — are designed to improve convenience and broaden access by allowing patients to receive treatment at home rather than traveling to infusion centers. These developments aim to give people more choices so they can manage lupus in ways that fit their lives and reduce the burden of travel and clinic visits.
Brie hopes her story helps others who are struggling with unexplained symptoms or who have faced repeated medication failures. She remembers days when she literally could not get out of bed, and now appreciates the ability to enjoy life again. By sharing what she learned about recognizing symptoms, advocating for thorough testing, and persevering through treatment adjustments, she wants others to know they are not alone and that effective management is possible.
Her experience is a reminder that persistent, unexplained pain and fatigue deserve careful evaluation, and that for some people a correct diagnosis can take years. For Brie, the diagnosis of lupus — while difficult to accept at first — eventually led to a treatment that allowed her to reclaim much of the life she loves on the farm.
