Samantha looks back on one year of myositis diagnosis

Sometimes "functioning forward" in itself is a win, said actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu on Thursday as she marked one year of being diagnosed with myositis, an autoimmune condition.

The actor had revealed her diagnosis on Instagram on June 15, 2022, ahead of the release of her film Yashoda.

In a reflective post on Instagram, The Family Man star today said the year gone by was all about embracing a "forced new normal" "It's been one year since the diagnosis. A year of forced new normal. Many battles with my body… no salt, sugar, or grains with a cocktail of meds for the main course, forced shutdowns and forced restarts. A year of seeking meaning, reflection, and introspection. Of professional failures too… to make things more interesting," Samantha wrote alongside a series of pictures and video of the Church of Saint Sava in the Serbian capital of Belgrade.

"That sometimes it's not about grand successes, but that functioning forward is in itself a win. That I mustn't sit around waiting for things to be perfect again or wallowing in the past," she added.

Myositis is the name for a group of rare conditions that can cause muscles to become weak, tired, and painful. It is usually caused by a problem with the immune system, where it mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.

Further in the post, the 36-year-old actress said she prayed last year not for blessings and gifts, but to find strength and peace.

"A year that has taught me that not everything goes your way all the time. And more importantly, that it's ok when it doesn't. That I must control the controllables, let go of the rest, and keep moving forward one step at a time...

"That I must hang on to love and those I love… and not give hate the power to affect me. There will be so many of you fighting far harder battles. I pray for you too. The gods may delay, but they never deny. They never deny peace, love, joy, and strength to those who seek it. The only things worth seeking," she said.

Samantha, who is currently shooting for the Indian chapter of the Prime Video series Citadel in Serbia, was last seen in the period drama film Shaakuntalam.