--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a long time, they thought I had…" description: "\"For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusivel..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg" --- # For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they… ![“For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusively diagnosed me with M.S.” quote by Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg) > “For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusively diagnosed me with M.S.” [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator experienced multiple misdiagnoses before a definitive spinal tap revealed multiple sclerosis, highlighting diagnostic challenges. **In simple terms:** Misdiagnoses delayed correct treatment. Key Takeaway Advocate for thorough medical evaluation. Themes health diagnosis patient advocacy Mood empathetic informative Type medical personal When to use this quote - doctor visits - second opinions - patient support groups Key Concepts medicine neurology Questions to Reflect On - How can patients ensure accurate diagnoses? - What support helps during chronic illness? A Different Perspective Complex symptoms can obscure rare diseases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Lupus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lupus/) [Spinal tap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spinal-tap/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“Jill’s story is typical of those of so many other suffering individuals: My lupus story began in 1992, when I was thirty-two years old.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-fuhrman/jill-s-story-is-typical-of-those-of-so-many-other-suffering/) [Joel Fuhrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-fuhrman/) > [“al que no le importa morir no le asusta quitar la vida a otro.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/al-que-no-le-importa-morir-no-le-asusta-quitar-la-vida-a-otro/) [Niccolò Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Omnis vir lupus.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brown/omnis-vir-lupus/) [Pierce Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brown/) > [When you address the self hate, certain diseases such as lupus just startto disappear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/when-you-address-the-self-hate-certain-diseases-such-as-lupus-just/) Senoraroy > [My stepmom is one of the leading researchers on lupus in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/my-stepmom-is-one-of-the-leading-researchers-on-lupus-in-the-world/) [Jeff Vandermeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [I know a lot about systemic lupus erythematosus because I have it, too. I was diagnosed through the NHS when I first moved to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/i-know-a-lot-about-systemic-lupus-erythematosus-because-i-have-it-too/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“Always find the funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-susan-crohn/always-find-the-funny/) Amy Susan Crohn > [My mother was a lupus patient. I was a child with the lupus gene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merry-clayton/my-mother-was-a-lupus-patient-i-was-a-child-with-the-lupus-gene/) [Merry Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merry-clayton/) > [“Ego homini Lupus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ego-homini-lupus/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Homo homini lupus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/homo-homini-lupus/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [I was diagnosed with lupus, and I've been through chemotherapy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/selena-gomez/i-was-diagnosed-with-lupus-and-i-ve-been-through-chemotherapy/) [Selena Gomez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/selena-gomez/) > [My life is so much better with lupus because I know that stress and too much junk food will literally put me in hospital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-ryan/my-life-is-so-much-better-with-lupus-because-i-know-that-stress-and/) [Katherine Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-ryan/) > [“Tell me we’re not going to be stoking up the cook fires to build palisades through the night by their light.’ I stood, turning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-c-scott/tell-me-we-re-not-going-to-be-stoking-up-the-cook-fires-to-build/) [M.C. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-c-scott/) > [Life's too slippery for books, Clarice; anger appears as lust, lupus presents as hives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/life-s-too-slippery-for-books-clarice-anger-appears-as-lust-lupus/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > ['Waiting For Guffman' was different right away from 'Spinal Tap,' because we didn't show the interviewer. That person became invisible immediately. That created a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/waiting-for-guffman-was-different-right-away-from-spinal-tap-because/) [Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/) ## More by Jennifer Holliday > [I continually still fight every day for my life, not only still battling mental health problems but battling multiple sclerosis, which also has depression…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/i-continually-still-fight-every-day-for-my-life-not-only-still/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [The gay community has been so faithful and good to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/the-gay-community-has-been-so-faithful-and-good-to-me/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [When I was with Geffen Records, I weighed almost 400 pounds. The label told me that I had a great voice but wasn't marketable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/when-i-was-with-geffen-records-i-weighed-almost-400-pounds-the-label/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [Back in the day, if someone at the record label didn't care or like your music, it never got to the public. It just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/back-in-the-day-if-someone-at-the-record-label-didn-t-care-or-like/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [Haven't a lot of us just missed at a lot of things and thought that we wouldn't have another chance at it? So we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/haven-t-a-lot-of-us-just-missed-at-a-lot-of-things-and-thought-that/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [Aretha Franklin, first and foremost... That's my top girl there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/aretha-franklin-first-and-foremost-that-s-my-top-girl-there/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [I was privileged to know the late, great Miss Etta James, and I did get a chance to spend some time with her and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/i-was-privileged-to-know-the-late-great-miss-etta-james-and-i-did-get/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [Either you can sing, or you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/either-you-can-sing-or-you-can-t/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [If your mind is not willing, everything will go. There's so much great power of our mind that we take for granted, and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/if-your-mind-is-not-willing-everything-will-go-there-s-so-much-great/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [I am, you know, really fighting for myself and my life. And I think the message that I could give to anybody is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/i-am-you-know-really-fighting-for-myself-and-my-life-and-i-think-the/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [For singers, our singing voice is our natural voice, not the speaking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/for-singers-our-singing-voice-is-our-natural-voice-not-the-speaking/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [Some people run away from things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/some-people-run-away-from-things/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [When I was suffering with depression, people weren't talking about depression. It had a stigma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/when-i-was-suffering-with-depression-people-weren-t-talking-about/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [The music industry is a very rough industry. Many years ago, I think it was even rougher in the sense that a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/the-music-industry-is-a-very-rough-industry-many-years-ago-i-think-it/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) > [A lot of times we base everything just on our immediate circumstance. We don't see a big picture for our lives. We don't love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/a-lot-of-times-we-base-everything-just-on-our-immediate-circumstance/) [Jennifer Holliday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) [Explore all 32 Jennifer Holliday quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/) ## More Long quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [I would borrow money all day long, if the cost of borrowing is less than the expected return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-schneider/i-would-borrow-money-all-day-long-if-the-cost-of-borrowing-is-less/) [Brad Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-schneider/) > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [Contradictory precepts that have guided me for as long as I can remember: 1: I will live forever. 2: I will die tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-gardner/contradictory-precepts-that-have-guided-me-for-as-long-as-i-can/) [Howard Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-gardner/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) Brian Reade > [Long before the 2016 presidential campaign, confidential sources had alerted me to longstanding misuses of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court system and the erosion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/long-before-the-2016-presidential-campaign-confidential-sources-had/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [History has often showed us the strength of the forces that are unleashed by the yearning for freedom. It moved people to overcome their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-merkel/history-has-often-showed-us-the-strength-of-the-forces-that-are/) [Angela Merkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-merkel/) > [From as long as I can remember, I was always fond of drawing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/from-as-long-as-i-can-remember-i-was-always-fond-of-drawing/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) Browse all 39,551 Long quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't walk, they did a spinal tap and conclusively diagnosed me with M.S.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jennifer Holliday" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus-then-they-thought-i-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Long" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus-then-they-thought-i-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40e/jennifer-holliday-19788_long_for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus_1862171.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For a long time, they thought I had lupus, then they thought I had something else. Finally, when I couldn't…” — Jennifer Holliday", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jennifer Holliday", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-holliday/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For a long time, they thought...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus-then-they-thought-i-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-holliday/for-a-long-time-they-thought-i-had-lupus-then-they-thought-i-had/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```