Lili Reinhart is opening up about her health, revealing that she’s spent the last year dealing with an unknown illness.
In a social media post to accompany the release of a new interview with Self Magazine, the Riverdale actress, 28, reminded readers to prioritize their health, while sharing what’s going on with hers.
“I feel it’s important to show an honest glimpse at what last year was like for me, when dealing with my health issues,” she began in the caption to an Instagram carousel on Thursday, Jan. 23.
Reinhart then thanked the outlet for helping to tell her story, while sharing several photos from her journey.
Her cover image showed her sitting in a hospital room, which she noted was 5 a.m. in a German hospital for a “possible bladder/UTI infection.”
“Being diagnosed with interstitial cystitis while simultaneously searching for answers about a mysterious autoimmunity/inflammatory disease made 2024 the hardest year of my life,” her caption continued.
Another photo in her upload showed a text message screenshot with Reinhart telling someone she’d spent “the last few days” standing beside a garbage can throwing chunks of her hair out.
“I just run my hands through it,” the text message said, “until it stops coming out.”
The Hustlers star said her grandmother’s experience with doctors inspired her own health journey, “after my grandmother was ignored by doctors for months when exhibiting clear symptoms of cancer.”
She added that by the time her grandmother got the testing she’d asked for, her cancer had already spread.
“The most important thing I have taken away from this experience is the absolute need to advocate for your own health. Do not let a doctor gaslight you or diminish your pain. I hope the men [and] women out there struggling to find answers feel even the slightest bit seen by my experience,” Reinhart concluded.
Other images in her Instagram post showed more visits to the doctor, as well as a photo of her sitting on an airplane.
“No greater discomfort than flying with a bladder flare,” was written over the picture.
Her very next image was a post about chronic illness.
The National Institute of Mental Health defines chronic disease as “a condition that lasts at least one year and requires ongoing medical attention or limits activities of daily living or both.”
On her Instagram Stories, Reinhart shared quotes from her Self Magazine feature.
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“Don’t let a doctor tell you that nothing’s wrong when you know that there is,” one quote read.
Another quote urged people to “Listen to your body, and don’t take no for an answer.”
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