Melissa Leeolou was 10 years old when she was dazzled by a production ofThe Nutcracker.
But Leeolou pushed through her discomfort to dance.
After working in medical research, Leeolou decided to become a doctor and is now in medical school.
Studio Firma/Stocksy/Adobe Stock
(This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
SELF: When did you decide to become a ballerina?
I just wanted to give it a try.
My parents reluctantly let me start lessons.
How did being diagnosed with psoriasis impact your ballet?
Before taking up ballet, I had been diagnosed withsevere psoriasiswhen I was two or three years old.
It caused significant obstacles in my life.
The physical challenges that I had already endured made my passion for it seem counterintuitive.
How were you diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis?
In my early 20s, I was on the cusp of a professional ballet career.
Thats when I sustained my first injuryin my ankle.
Injuries are normal for ballet dancers, so at the time I wasn’t worried.
But I eventually needed surgery, and month after month I still hadn’t recovered.
Its a process of ruling out other possibilities, so it took some time to get to the diagnosis.
When did you realize that you wouldnt be able to dance professionally?
The drawn-out diagnostic process prolonged my hope that I could dance again.
It took me a long time to slowly and very reluctantly explore career options outside of dance.
I tried all different things.
At times I was just focused on how to get the treatments I needed.
It was hard to feel like this diagnosis was dictating my life.
Why did you choose to transition into medicine?
Public policy and medical ethics were interesting to me from both an academic standpoint and as a patient.
After graduating, I worked in clinical research.
I found that developing innovative treatments spoke to my creativity.
I feel so deeply connected to people who are going through their own health challenges.
Beinga physician is really the greatest honorbecause you get to participate in someone else’s journey.
What are the biggest challenges with your career transition?
Changing careers is really difficult, and I have concerns even in medical school.
Even sitting down too long in a classroom orwalking on the hospital floorfor too long can trigger pain.
So that is an ongoing challenge.
What advice would you give to other people with psoriatic arthritis looking to change careers?
Ive learned that I need to be self-compassionate and flexible and havereally good supportsystems in place.
My advice broadly is to look for employee support resources.
There were two main reasons I chose to study at Stanford.
There are lots of students and professors in these groups who are also dealing with their own chronic illnesses.
What advice would you give someone whose psoriatic arthritis affects their work?
I talk a lot about support systems, and I think those are really valuable.
My overall reflection is that being flexible with yourself can help you develop some self-compassion.
Asking for accommodations at work can be really stigmatized.
Some people think getting an accommodation is a privilege or a gift, but it’s really not.
It’s leveling the playing field.
Whats your relationship with dance now?
I coped with giving up my professional ballet career by continuing my involvement in dance in new ways.
I taught ballet at a community center for children with Downs syndrome, calledGiGis Playhouse.
I also volunteered with dance therapy classes for cancer patients.
These have all really helped me hold on to my love of dance and still find joy in it.
And I do find joy in dancing now.
