RB

Nine years ago I realized there was something seriously wrong with me. I was constantly tired, no matter how much coffee or water I drank or the healthy foods I ate. No matter how many hours of sleep I got or how many hours of work I reduced. Resting for too long would cause pain all over. I would slur my words, forget mid sentence what I was saying, I wasn’t drunk. I was always in pain, especially in my hands, wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, hips, knees, ankles and feet. Someone sitting next to me on the bus was painful. Carrying my 2 year old son was painful. Strapping him into a car seat or his stroller was difficult because I just did not have the hand strength. I could barely handle grocery shopping or walking 6 minutes to the train station. I was exhausted and it hurt. I had some of the worst mental health of my life. In fact I constantly thought of suicide because the amount of pain I was in was so great and I did not know why. I also blamed myself for not being able to shake off the tiredness or the forgetfulness. I was constantly catching a cold that wouldn’t go away. What would normally take a week to get over would take 4-5 weeks to recover from. I could barely function or explain what was going on with me. I had just celebrated my 29th birthday. I couldn’t do my job anymore. I thought it was hormones from having a child but after two years those hormones should have gone away, not have gotten worse. I thought it was all in my head. I thought I was crazy. Then I made an appointment to ask my family physician for a rheumatoid arthritis blood test after a coworker suggested it to me. Due to my family history of arthritis, things started to click. What I was experiencing was not normal and it was not in my head. I was being broken down by a serious autoimmune disease. Nine years ago I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. February 2nd is Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Day. A day to observe this serious autoimmune disease. Today is important to me because maybe I would have gotten my diagnosis sooner if I had known about the symptoms and that someone my age could get a form of arthritis. I hope those that are experiencing similar symptoms to me will get the help they need. Rheumatoid arthritis is a serious disease and it needs to be taken seriously with early and effective treatment. This day important to me because I have witnessed and lived the serious problems that can arise from the disease. My aunt lived with RA many years prior to my diagnosis. I do not have any memories of her walking. She was in a wheelchair, in serious pain. I saw my family dismiss her as dramatic. She passed away the same week I was diagnosed with RA due to complications that come from living with RA. Heart disease is part of RA and one of the most common causes of death for RA patients. Since my diagnosis I have become an advocate for RA with a passion for research. I have had the opportunity to learn a lot about my disease, which is fascinating but also terrifying as RA is a very serious disease. Rheumatoid arthritis is serious because: RA is a systemic inflammatory or autoimmune disease that not only attacks our joints but our organs like the heart, lung, eyes, kidneys, skin and more. RA is more like MS and lupus than it is osteoarthritis, which it is commonly mistaken for. RA increases my risk for other serious or life-threatening illnesses. It is well-established that RA increases your risk for developing a variety of other health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancers, osteoporosis, lung disease, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, and more. RA significantly impacts quality of life with debilitating chronic symptoms that have no cure. RA and RA medications make us moderately to severely immunosuppressed, or at high risk for infections. When you’re immunocompromised, any sort of infection — from the common cold to COVID-19 — instills fear. Even if an illness is relatively mild, you worry that it can make your underlying disease worse, especially if you temporarily pause your immunosuppressant medication. Please share to help me create awareness and support for the rheumatoid arthritis community today. These words are only a glimpse into the seriousness of RA. #RheumDay, #TheRealRD #RheumAwarenessDay #RheumatoidArthritisAwareness #RheumatoidArthritisAwarenessDay