After a Sjögren’s Syndrome Diagnosis, This Cyclist Found Healing and Strength on Her Bike

I always had bicycles growing up, and first got into road cycling in the spring of 1996 with my uncle, Nathaniel. He rode a lot and I thought it was so cool seeing him in his gear. After begging him to take me out for a long ride, he finally did and I’ll never forget how excited I was to complete such a challenging ride from the south shore of Long Island to the north shore. Fast forward 20 some years later to 2011, and a friend re-introduced me to the cycling world. I showed up for a Saturday morning group ride with my mountain bike and went home with a used road bike that someone gifted me that same day. The bug had bit me all over again and I haven’t looked back. At the beginning of my cycling journey in spring 2011, I rode about twice a week, and participated in regional rides like the Amish Country Bike Tour (my first century), MS 150, and some other local events. However, a few years later, in 2016, my health drastically changed. It was in March 2016 that I noticed I was struggling on routes occasionally. Then on a group ride in August 2016, I felt terrible—I couldn’t see clearly and was sweating profusely. I knew something was wrong, so I got off my bike, and sat down on the curb exhausted. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, called Sjögren’s syndrome. [View in Browser]( [Bicycling]( [SHOP]( [EXCLUSIVE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [After a Sjögren’s Syndrome Diagnosis, This Cyclist Found Healing and Strength on Her Bike]( [After a Sjögren’s Syndrome Diagnosis, This Cyclist Found Healing and Strength on Her Bike]( [After a Sjögren’s Syndrome Diagnosis, This Cyclist Found Healing and Strength on Her Bike]( I always had bicycles growing up, and first got into road cycling in the spring of 1996 with my uncle, Nathaniel. He rode a lot and I thought it was so cool seeing him in his gear. After begging him to take me out for a long ride, he finally did and I’ll never forget how excited I was to complete such a challenging ride from the south shore of Long Island to the north shore. Fast forward 20 some years later to 2011, and a friend re-introduced me to the cycling world. I showed up for a Saturday morning group ride with my mountain bike and went home with a used road bike that someone gifted me that same day. The bug had bit me all over again and I haven’t looked back. At the beginning of my cycling journey in spring 2011, I rode about twice a week, and participated in regional rides like the Amish Country Bike Tour (my first century), MS 150, and some other local events. However, a few years later, in 2016, my health drastically changed. It was in March 2016 that I noticed I was struggling on routes occasionally. Then on a group ride in August 2016, I felt terrible—I couldn’t see clearly and was sweating profusely. I knew something was wrong, so I got off my bike, and sat down on the curb exhausted. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, called Sjögren’s syndrome. I always had bicycles growing up, and first got into road cycling in the spring of 1996 with my uncle, Nathaniel. He rode a lot and I thought it was so cool seeing him in his gear. After begging him to take me out for a long ride, he finally did and I’ll never forget how excited I was to complete such a challenging ride from the south shore of Long Island to the north shore. Fast forward 20 some years later to 2011, and a friend re-introduced me to the cycling world. I showed up for a Saturday morning group ride with my mountain bike and went home with a used road bike that someone gifted me that same day. The bug had bit me all over again and I haven’t looked back. At the beginning of my cycling journey in spring 2011, I rode about twice a week, and participated in regional rides like the Amish Country Bike Tour (my first century), MS 150, and some other local events. However, a few years later, in 2016, my health drastically changed. It was in March 2016 that I noticed I was struggling on routes occasionally. Then on a group ride in August 2016, I felt terrible—I couldn’t see clearly and was sweating profusely. I knew something was wrong, so I got off my bike, and sat down on the curb exhausted. Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, called Sjögren’s syndrome. [Read More]( [Read More](   [Tour de France Stage 9 Preview: Back to the Climbs]( [Tour de France Stage 9 Preview: Back to the Climbs]( After a stage we won't soon forget, the peloton heads back to the mountains in Stage 9. 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