The Last Word with Matt Cooper Prof Louise Crowley On Her Experience Of Living With Lupus
Nov 17, 2025
Professor Louise Crowley, a family law expert at University College Cork and director of the Bystander Intervention Programme, shares her moving journey with lupus, an autoimmune disease she's battled since age 17. She discusses the daily struggles of pain, breathlessness, and medication regimens. Louise reflects on how lupus shaped her education, college life, and even her marriage. Her candid insights into serious health setbacks, pregnancies, and her successful academic career reveal her resilience, all while raising awareness about this often misunderstood condition.
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What Lupus Actually Is
- Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can attack organs and be crippling.
- It is chronic and not curable but can be managed to reduce fatal risks.
Be Prepared For Complex Medication
- Expect long-term medication regimens and coordinate treatments for multiple symptoms.
- Use disease-specific meds, antibiotics, injections and painkillers as prescribed and track complex schedules.
Early Diagnosis As A Teen
- Louise was diagnosed at 17 after clear symptoms like hair loss, joint pain and a butterfly rash.
- Early doctors once expected only eight to ten years of life before modern treatments improved outcomes.