Dr. Julio Beras Matos is an exceptional rheumatologist, to say the least. I spent seven years…read moresuffering from debilitating symptoms that were overlooked or dismissed as mere anxiety. I first met Dr. Beras Matos in May 2022 for a new patient consultation. He was incredibly patient and took the time to truly listen as I explained my medical history and the symptoms I had been experiencing for the previous seven years, symptoms that progressively worsened with each passing year.
After performing lab work and a thorough physical assessment, he told me, "I believe you have systemic lupus." At the time, it was a devastating diagnosis to receive, but I was also relieved and deeply grateful to finally have answers and, more importantly, to finally have a physician who believed me instead of dismissing my symptoms once again.
Over the last four years, Dr. Beras Matos has guided me through this lupus journey, and to say it has been tumultuous would be an understatement. He has always taken the time to sit and listen to me. There have been many tearful moments, and his compassion as a physician reflects the kind of person he truly is.
He has always allowed me to actively participate in my treatment plan and respected my hesitations regarding certain medications, including azathioprine, methotrexate, Benlysta, and Saphnelo. He gave me the time and space to process difficult decisions and revisit treatment options when my symptoms worsened. He has truly exhausted every tool in his rheumatology arsenal to help treat my systemic lupus and chronic pleurisy.
When I hoped to become pregnant, he transitioned me to azathioprine. When Benlysta failed to control my symptoms, he moved on to Saphnelo. When azathioprine was no longer effective, he started methotrexate. During my lupus flares, he has consistently accommodated me, making time to call me or see me urgently in clinic to help get my symptoms under control with steroids.
Dr. Beras Matos is clearly passionate about rheumatology and autoimmune disease. He is eager to stay informed on emerging research and future treatments currently being studied in clinical trials that may one day improve the lives of his patients. He has been a constant guiding force throughout my illness, someone I know I can turn to when lupus fails me, someone who will help me search for answers and solutions.
From 2022 to 2024, my lupus became so severe that I was unable to work. Today, I am able to work full-time as a nurse while also pursuing my education to become a nurse practitioner. I was able to plan my wedding and get married. I truly feel like I have my life back. It may not be the same life I had before lupus, but it is a life filled with far more gratitude for the good days and far more hope for what lies ahead.
I remain hopeful about the research being done in systemic lupus erythematosus and the new therapies currently in clinical trials that may soon become FDA approved. And I know Dr. Beras Matos will be among the first to learn about them so he can continue providing his patients with more treatment options and a better quality of life.
Systemic lupus can be a devastating diagnosis, as I learned in 2022. But four years later, I have learned that when you have a great rheumatologist by your side, it becomes far less frightening because you face it together, as a team.