Lili Reinhart Reveals Struggle With Chronic Illness After 'Hardest Year,' Talks Importance of Advocating for Your Health
Lili Reinhart opened up about her experience with chronic illness.
In an interview with Self, the 28-year-old Riverdale actress revealed that she had been diagnosed with a chronic disorder called interstitial cystitis.
The outlet described it as an illness “where a person’s bladder or bladder wall becomes irritated and inflamed. It can have a long-lasting impact on a person’s quality of life.”
After sharing her diagnosis, Lili took to social media to share more about her receiving treatment, the lengthy track to being diagnosed and the importance of advocating for your health.
Keep reading to find out more…
On Instagram, Lili shared a post with multiple photos of her in the hospital. The first was taken in a doctor’s office in Germany where she was receiving treatment for what was then thought to be a bladder infection or UTI.
She also included screenshots of text messages where she described symptoms such as losing her hair and meeting with various doctors.
“I’m just in misery,” she wrote in one of the texts.
In the caption, Lili wrote, “I feel it’s important to show an honest glimpse at what last year was like for me, when dealing with my health issues.”
“Being diagnosed with interstitial cystitis while simultaneously searching for answers about a mysterious autoimmunity/inflammatory disease made 2024 the hardest year of my life,” she said. “I was inspired to talk about this after my grandmother was ignored by doctors for months when exhibiting clear symptoms of cancer- and it was only after her own strength and advocation for herself that she was given a blood test that diagnosed her. And by then, the cancer had spread.”
Lili continued, writing, “The most important thing I have taken away from this experience is the absolute need to advocate for your own health. Do not let a doctor gaslight you or diminish your pain. I hope the men & women out there struggling to find answers feel even the slightest bit seen by my experience. ❤️????”
We hope that Lili is feeling better and able to get the treatment that she needs.