10 diseases, one body: Loreen’s 25-year fight to stay alive She wasn’t expected to live past seven. Today, at 27, Loreen Murithi battles 10 chronic conditions and now spends at least Sh100,000 a month just to stay alive Health Just now

The cost of staying alive • Outpatient insurance limit: Sh200,000 — used up in 4 months • Inpatient limit: Sh5 million • Specialist consultations: up to Sh50,000/month • Geneticist : Sh10,000 • Colonoscopy: Sh78,000 • Endoscopy: Sh30,000 • Fludrocortisone: Sh14,600/month • Emergency hydrocortisone: Sh3,600/bottle • Pancreatic enzymes: Sh10,500–23,450/month • Total monthly treatment cost: at least Sh100,000 — before surgery • Next stomach surgery (projected): Sh2 million • 2025 appendix/gallbladder surgery + 8-day stay: Sh1.

Then a bowel inflammation test came back with very high results, and a colonoscopy found active inflammation in her colon — ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition causing inflammation and ulcers in the lining of the colon and rectum.

Treating such patients often needs a team, because one treatment can help more than one condition — and unchecked inflammation can damage several organs at the same time.