Holding on to Sight and Hope: Cheri Lincoln's Life with GPA
At 63 years old, Cheri lives in Central Minnesota with her husband, Jeff. A mother of one son and now retired, she never imagined her later years would include unexpected health challenges. Diagnosed in February/March 2018 with ANCA-positive granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), her journey to answers was long, painful, and at times uncertain.
Looking back, Cheri can trace symptoms years before her diagnosis—though at the time, she had no idea they were connected. “I don’t know if it’s related, but I had a bout with hives in 2009/2010. They would move and were mostly concentrated on my head—face, ears, etc.,” she said.
Years later, more symptoms followed. “Sometime in the second half of 2016, I had terrible joint pain in my arms and hands that would move to different joints daily,” she added. However, just as suddenly as it started, the joint pain stopped.
Searching for Answers and a Diagnosis
In March 2017, a new and frightening symptom appeared. “My eye turned red,” Cheri explained. “Steroid drops helped, but three months later the other eye turned red with pain, and the steroid injections didn’t help. The pain was horrible.”
Around this time, Cheri sought answers from multiple providers. “I went to an eye doctor, and she asked me if I had arthritis. I said I didn’t think so but explained my joint pain and how it had recently stopped, and then my eye turned red. The doctor said to me, ‘Oh, it moved,’ and insisted I go get tested for Lyme disease—and even if I tested negative, to insist they treat me.”
“I got tested, it was negative, but they treated me anyway. My eye got better with steroid drops. But in June, my left eye turned red and never got better.”
It would take eight months before Cheri finally received a diagnosis from her ophthalmologist, Dr. Karen Armbrust, and rheumatologist, Dr. Nitika Ghattaura, confirmed through blood tests and imaging.
Cheri admits she had never even heard of GPA before that moment. While autoimmune disease was not entirely foreign to her family (her sister has multiple sclerosis), this diagnosis felt isolating and unfamiliar.
Reflecting on the long road to diagnosis, Cheri carries a mix of frustration and honesty. “I got to where I just wanted a blood test… but some of the delays were my fault due to a lack of insurance, so I delayed treatment,” she said.
Treatment, Daily Challenges, and Life Changes
Today, Cheri’s treatment includes methotrexate and rituximab infusions twice per year. These medications help manage the disease, but the effects of both GPA and years of inflammation have taken a toll. She has undergone two hip replacements and one shoulder replacement, though she’s unsure whether they are directly related. Fatigue remains one of her biggest daily challenges. “I seem to have very low energy, and it’s hard to get motivated for anything.”
Cheri retired at 59, earlier than she expected. While her husband was a strong source of support in the beginning, life has shifted again. “My husband was very helpful initially, but now he has cancer, so I’m the one doing most things,” she said.
Despite the hardships, Cheri considers herself fortunate. Flares are relatively rare, though certain symptoms still trigger fear. “As far as flares, I’m pretty lucky… although every time I get pain behind one of my eyes, I kind of go into a panic—but the pain doesn’t last.”
Cheri’s greatest hope for the future is simple and heartfelt: “Just hoping I can keep what’s left of my eyesight and that it stays out of my nose and lungs.”
Through it all, she maintains a perspective grounded in gratitude. “I could have it so much worse,” she said. “I have read some pretty horrible stories, and I think I’m one of the lucky ones.”
When asked what advice she would give to others facing a similar diagnosis, her answer is direct and empowering: “Do what’s right for you.”
In the face of chronic illness, surgeries, uncertainty, and caregiving responsibilities, Cheri’s story is not just about disease—it is about resilience, perspective, and choosing gratitude even on the hardest days.