After a week, I was discharged and went home with another course of antibiotics. However, my recovery would soon take a dire turn.

This is where my smartwatch came in.

As a normal resting heart rate for adults generally is between 60-100bpm, it was time to call triple-zero.

‘My face felt like it was on fire’

This was now the 14th hospital admittance I had had in two years for lupus-related issues.

Corinne during her hospitalisation for septic shock. Source: Supplied

My mum was there holding my hand. And I told her: “If you have a choice, please let me go, Mum — I can’t do this anymore.” This is when my memory of that incident ends.

And I truly believe that heeding the smartwatch’s warning saved my life.

Seizures and smart speakers

The data from the devices may not always be 100 per cent accurate but with the insights they give, I feel the technology helps to translate the ‘different language’ my body is speaking.

Corinne says she finds tech helpful in managing her chronic health conditions. Source: Supplied

I also experience seizures with my condition. As a safety measure, my husband and I have set up several smart speakers in different rooms of the house — including the bathroom.

Showering used to be a very vulnerable part of the day, but now I have some peace of mind that help can come.

‘Tech is not inherently good, nor evil’

I’m excited for the future of technology and to see in which ways it can benefit me.