Be You, Be Rare — Brandon Hudgins

banner image for "Be You, Be Ware," Brandon Hudgins' column, which depicts a red sky with clouds, a man walking a path on one side and green mountains on the other

Brandon Hudgins is a retired professional distance runner and the owner of High Point Athletic Club, a running club and coaching company located in High Point, North Carolina. He works with athletes of all ages and skill levels from new runners to professional athletes in the High Point area and across the United States. Brandon was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis, the most common type of vasculitis, 14 years ago at the age 21. His goal is to inspire people to continue to chase their dreams after being diagnosed with their rare disease.

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When we ask others how they’re doing, let’s care about the answer

“Hey, how are you doing?” It’s a common question that we use to greet everyone from close friends to the cashier at a local coffee shop. If you are a rare disease patient, you’ve likely encountered this scenario at some point on your journey. Someone may ask this basic…

Brandon Hudgins

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Now that I’m healthier, I better see what vasculitis has taught me

As I approach the 15-year anniversary of my vasculitis diagnosis, I’ve started to contemplate the lessons that battling this disease has taught me. There are many, though some stand out. As an athletics coach, I’m always looking for ways to learn from experiences. My own coach for my decade-plus…

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How much human connection is too much?

Living with a rare disease, by its nature, is isolating. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. There are currently over 7,000 such diseases. I’ve lived with ANCA vasculitis, a subset of autoimmune diseases that affects…

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It’s Time to Break Down Walls and Celebrate the Life We Have

“This isn’t the life that I planned, but it’s the life that I got,” an athlete friend of mine recently said as he sipped his latte. Now in his 70s, my friend was reflecting on a life he had worked hard for, but which wasn’t quite what he had imagined.

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I’m Learning That It’s OK to Be OK, Even With Vasculitis

For many years, I lived with an anxiety-crippled brain from being a self-absorbed endurance athlete who had been diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis — a form of vasculitis — at a young age. That pain was almost a badge of honor. I had suffered more than most people…

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The Run-up and Run-down of My ANCA Vasculitis Diagnosis

What do you do when life as you know it and as you’ve dreamed about ceases to exist? That was the question I had to answer at 21 years old. Six months before that late-evening “Are you sitting down?” call from two of my doctors, I would’ve never imagined that…

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