Brent Sandmann

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Brent’s story


Brent was surprisingly diagnosed with a seizure disorder at the age of 15.  At the age of 20, he was diagnosed with Lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease.  With this disease, the body attacks itself and causes inflammation. It can affect the skin, joints, organs, blood cells, healthy tissue and the brain.


There was no warning or cause of why Brent got these diseases.  Throughout the years, Brent has gone through multiple health issues, stomach pain, more medicine changes and doctor appointments.  Even though there is no cure or these diseases, the Lupus and seizures stabilized, Brent has had a lot of years of feeling better and enjoying life and activities such as softball, basketball, golfing, hunting, fishing, ice fishing, mowing the lawn, grilling, as well as a full time job as a physical therapist assistant.


In May of 2017- Brent started experiencing high fevers, extreme muscle and joint pain, extreme fatigue, later developing a blood clot in his leg, less and less time working and then nausea, vomiting and extreme weight loss.  Brent has been through a lot medicine trials and changes.

Common pain medicine is not designed to help with chronic pain.  Brent is taking a more natural approach with medicine to try to decrease pain.


Since January 2018, Brent has been out of work until April of 2018.

Brent worked minimally until June of 2018.  

Brent’s health started to decline again.  When his health issues escalated, he had multiple doctor appointments and tests at the Mayo clinic in Rochester as well as New Ulm and Mankato.


Recently Brent was also diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (this is a chronic disorder with widespread muscle pain, nerve pain, extreme fatigue and tender areas) and also malnutrition (from loss of appetite and extreme weight and muscle loss) along with the ongoing effects of Lupus.


The blood clot has dissolved but Brent will be on a life long blood thinner medicine because of a blood clotting disorder caused by the Lupus.  He will be getting his blood levels checked twice a week in New Ulm. He will also be on a seizure medicine for his lifetime and is seeing a neurologist on a regular basis.


Brent is currently unable to work due to the extreme pain (in his muscles, joints, nerves) fatigue, weight and strength loss.


How the Lupus and Fibromyalgia affects Brent is that his body shuts down and does not allow him to have an appetite.  Brent has lost a significant amount of weight and is considered malnourished right now. Brent is monitoring his calories intake everyday and maintaining his weight until he is able to gain a healthy amount of weight again.


Lupus and Fibromyalgia are both widespread and chronic pain in the body that have no cure.  Brent will experience the effects of these diseases for his lifetime.


He is continually doctoring and medicating to try and stabilize and minimize the ongoing issues and pain that the diseases may cause.  Brent is also trying to gain weight and build strength to try and go back to work again soon.


Currently Brent has had a CT scan done.  Results indicate further testing and doctoring needed.  Brent has been referred back to the Mayo in Rochester for more in depth testing and scans.  Brent will also have to see a neuromuscular specialist at Mayo to rule out possibilities of more autoimmune diseases.