"There was definitely a sense of relief in finally having an answer," Brianne "Brie" Hyde said
Credit: AstraZeneca
NEED TO KNOW
- Dairy farmer Brianne “Brie” Hyde struggled with years of misdiagnosed symptoms before finally learning she had lupus
- Hyde found relief with Saphnelo, a treatment that significantly improved her fatigue and joint pain
- She hopes that sharing her story raises awareness about lupus and helps others recognize symptoms earlier
A dairy farmer started feeling "overwhelming fatigue," but initially wrote off her symptoms as part of her "very physical" job.
Brianne "Brie" Hyde began experiencing low-grade fevers, severe joint pain and fatigue that meant she "physically couldn't get out of bed."
Hyde, 47, who was also a mom, tells PEOPLE she thought she was just tired from working a lot outdoors, especially during the summer months.
Doctors then told her for about two to three years that she had Lyme disease. "Every summer, like clockwork, I'd go in with the same symptoms and get the same diagnosis, antibiotics, steroids and then temporary relief," she says. "But it kept happening year after year. It was incredibly frustrating because I knew it couldn't be Lyme disease every single time."
Credit: AstraZeneca
"There wasn't really another clear diagnosis offered. It was more of a cycle of treating symptoms without answers. After a while, you start to feel dismissed, like maybe you're not being taken seriously," Hyde adds.
Hyde's bloodwork returned showing "very high" ANA (antinuclear antibodies) levels, so she was referred to a rheumatologist. She also said that for the first time, a doctor told her that she might have lupus.
"My first reaction was honestly, 'What is lupus?' " she recalls. "I had never even heard of it. There was definitely a sense of relief in finally having an answer after years of uncertainty, but it was also overwhelming. It marked the beginning of a whole new journey of figuring out treatment and what living with lupus really meant."
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes swelling and other symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.
After Hyde got her diagnosis, she found that there wasn't a treatment that felt like the right fit for her.
She has since begun using Saphnelo, which was approved by the FDA. The treatment "dampens the excessive type I interferon signature that is found in many lupus patients," according to the Lupus Foundation of America.
In April 2026, Saphnelo launched a pen version, which is also FDA-approved, and allows patients to self-administer their treatments.
Credit: Brie Hyde
"Saphnelo has already been life-changing for me," Hyde says. "After trying so many treatments that either didn't work or caused difficult side effects, this was the first time I truly felt a difference almost immediately. My fatigue and joint pain improved significantly, and over time, I've been able to come off most of the medications I was taking."
She explains that having a pen to use at home has been a "huge game-changer," as she used to have to plan her life around monthly infusions, which can be "time-consuming."
"Having something that fits more easily into your daily routine while still delivering the same results would make a big difference for people like me," Hyde says.
Overall, Hyde wants people to know that lupus is an "invisible disease" that "can look completely fine on the outside, but inside, your body is struggling."
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"I think sharing stories is so important because a lot of people, myself included at one point, don't even know what lupus is," she tells PEOPLE. "The more we talk about it, the more we can help others recognize symptoms, seek help sooner and feel less alone."
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