You’ve probably been wondering, where has Niki been?? Why have there been no posts on Facebook or RA Chicks site? Well…..Some of my other health issues decided they weren’t getting enough attention apparently and took over beating me up.

If you don’t want TMI (Too much information) about female reproductive issues, I would skip the following read, especially for our Rooster readers…

If you have decided to read on despite warning here goes:

I spent Tuesday morning in the emergency room due to GI bleeding and heavy blood loss due to my female menstrual issues that has been going on since last Thursday. They discussed possible transfusions to me several times while I was there but luckily I managed not to have one this time. Yay! Apparently switching to slow release iron pills and eating healthier made my values better with all this blood loss than it was previously before!

Just got back from seeing ob/gyn and they are putting me on high dose of Provera starting today and plans on reviewing results from tests in ER before they decide what needs to be done. I have PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) so just on my left ovary had about a dozen cysts plus some hemorrhagic cysts just for fun. The ER thought I might have a uterine hemorrhage as well. While I was in emergency room, they did a lovely ultrasound with the probe. For those that have had this done when you already have pelvic pain, you will understand when I say that I wanted to punch the poor ultrasound tech every time she pushed on painful sides. Ugh.

So depending on what they see when they review the tests and results, one of the following will occur:

1. Hormone and birth control pills to handle PCOS / hormonal imbalances
2. Follow up pap and colposcopy for further investigation once bleeding has resolved
3. Medical intervention / surgery to remove cysts or problems which will require referral out to hospital

So basically I’ve been off my feet, laying in the bed, dependent on pain pills, muscle relaxers and a giant heating pad to get through the worst of this. They told me at the emergency room to take it easy, not to do anything too physical or exerting, and rest as much as possible. Not sure how those orders vary much from my regular activities but been trying to not complain much and just hang in there. Waiting on doctor to call me back with next step decision. Always fun.

I didn’t want to worry you all about what was going on until I got a better picture of what was going on myself. As far as the gastro bleed, it seems that the joining of my colectomy, where my colon was removed, may have small bleeding ulcerations again. If no improvement I will have to get another repair done in near future, which involves them taking an argon laser to close the openings. I know, I know… I really know how to have fun.

I do feel sorry in advance to the Murphster and Little Niki. Why? I was told the Provera is going to make me “very very very cranky” and sleepy. When I told Little Niki she said “Awesome. I’ll just have Daddy wake you up from now on.” lol

I will try, try being the operative word, work on catching up with all your posts, emails and messages. I haven’t been able to do much as the blood loss led to me being very light headed and dizzy. I will try to keep you all posted.  I apologize for my absence.

I hope you are having a much better week than me. (((pain-free internet hugs)))

by Lisa Copen

“So, how are you doing? You look so nice tonight.”

How do you reply?
“Pretty good, thanks so much!” or. . .
“Well, I am obviously pulling it off, because I feel absolutely terrible, but I did my best to hide it.”

As the holiday parties start to happen for the holidays, so does the dilemma of deciding if you are going to be honest with other people, or just let go and do your best to have a good time. There is no right or wrong answer and it’s different for each person and situation. But let’s look at it from the perspective that your intent is to have fun.

Do you want to go to this party?
Illness is not any fun, right? The whole idea of having a good time is to put on some shoes that do not include fleece inside of them and get out of the house for a couple of hours. If your intent is to have a good time, make a conscious decision to make choices that reflect this. You are not attending a counseling session, a support group meeting, or a place to have all your fears validated. Keep perspective and avoid having expectations of other people.

Faking it is not betraying yourself
Too many people with chronic illness feel a huge quandary that if they do not explain all about how badly they feel they are two-faced. Just because you get to the party and look decent does not mean that you are in not pain. You may actually experience pain twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I personally know that choosing to have fun when you are hurting is a choice, and not an easy one! By choosing to not discuss this with everyone at the party, however, does not mean you are not lying, betraying, deceiving, or being invalidated. You are putting the pain aside as much as possible and having conversation with people.

Are you looking for a thrill or a therapist?
When we have a chronic illness it can be a natural tendency to want to talk to someone about what we are experiencing. But your friend’s holiday party it not the place to do it. Everyone there has their own challenges in life too, yet they are attending to have a light-hearted night, not hear about your aches and pains. It is not that they don’t care–they just don’t know you! And if they did know you and care, a real conversation, one-on-one, in a quieter place would be much more ideal than trying to tell your story over the loud music.

Don’t explain yourself
You may need a chair to sit down in. You may avoid food filled with gluten. You may not be able to drink alcohol. The medications before you came may be making you drowsy. You may only be able to stay an hour so you can function tomorrow. That is all okay. So, just do it! Find a chair, grab a non-alcoholic drink, excuse yourself by 10 PM. You don’t have to explain why you do what you do. If you are afraid of offending your host, explain a few days before the party that you may slip out early since you are trying to pace yourself, but don’t worry about what others think. Honestly, most of them won’t even notice.

If you open that can of worms. . .
So you did it, you mentioned your illness. Maybe it just slipped out or perhaps you were trying to explain to someone why you aren’t training for the Ironman triathlon like everyone else seems to be. Before you know it someone is telling you she sells this special water that would make all your pain go away, or that his mother’s neighbor’s daughter tried this special extract and now she has been able to stop taking all of her medication. It’s painful to listen to. It hurts. It makes you want to throw a drink at someone and run screaming from the room. But you opened up this can of worms by revealing you have an illness. Be polite and walk away as soon as possible. Go hide in the bathroom and take a few deep breaths. There is little you can do to change someone’s opinion so don’t waste your energy.

Be real friends with . . . real friends
“But all of this is so fake!” you may say. “I feel like such a fraud! I can barely walk through the room without limping, my back is killing me, I don’t even know why I came if know one here knows the real me!” That’s understandable. The “real you” likely is someone who deals with a great deal of chronic pain, doctors appointments, and side effects of medications. It is a juggling act to keep up with friends, career, family, an illness, and still have a social life. No one there knows about the rash that is under your clothes or that you can’t eat most of the food presented. That is okay. Real friends know the real you. This is an outing where you can get to know people and see if there is anyone you “click” with who you may like to become better friends with in the future.

Illness is a very intimate thing. To those of us who live with it, it can be the underlying foundation of our choices, attitude, and moment-by-moment moods. As much as we try to not have it define us, the disease fights to control us. For those who do not live with illness, however, it is a very personal topic. It is a problem to be solved–and maybe solved within a few minutes if they give you the right advice. They do not see illness as a lifestyle or as a filter for your priorities, but rather as a weakness, a surrendering you are making to something that has power over you.

Parties are meant to be casual, fun, and light-hearted. They are meant to be places you discuss the weather, sports, current events, and the Kardashians–even if it’s about how you refuse to talk about the Kardashians any longer. They are not a place where chronic illnesses can be discussed in a way that will make you feel better. People do not come to parties to be informed about health issues. If you bring it up, you likely will only be frustrated, not validated, nor shown the understanding or compassion you crave.

So, do you want to just skip the party? You may! These kind of get togethers can be seen as superficial gatherings where no one talks about anything important. If you feel that way, you may find more comfort in just staying home and inviting a friend over to watch a DVD. But if you decide to go, remember to do your best to put aside your personal needs and just choose to mingle and get to know other people. Who knows what they may be going through that they aren’t sharing! And if you can smile and have a conversation with people, you may find out who you have something in common with and form that real friendship in time.

Interested in becoming a volunteer writer for RAChicks.com? Interested parties can send us an email message requesting to become a writer to ra.chicks@yahoo.com.

Q: Current Age?
A: 24

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: 6-7. Teachers noticed that when I turned around I turned at the hips like I had a sore neck and told my mum. Soon after that lumps appeared on the backs of my palms that couldn’t be fixed with creams or explained any other way. Mum wonders now if maybe I’d had symptoms longer that she just wrote off as me being a careful kid. I never played roughly, jumped off things or climbed stuff. So maybe I was in pain earlier but didn’t know any better!

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 7

Q: Where are you located?
A: Melbourne, Victoria – Australia

Q: What is your profession?
A: Receptionist at a backpackers in the city. Also at uni studying to be a nurse!

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis (however I sorted that out quick smart with a total hip replacement…)

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Reading, friends, movies, cycling.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: If you’re not absolutely regimented in taking your meds you’ll move like an 80 year old at 23. He probably did tell me but I was 15 and knew better than everyone…

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: You can still do everything you want. Listen to your parents. Do your physio. Take the medicines. I probably wouldn’t have listened to myself then either!

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: Research your illness. Know as much as you can. Ask a million questions. Find others out there – even if they just have a chronic illness, you’ll still have shared experiences and be able to share tips and tricks to coping. Never be afraid to tell your friends /family /workplace that you can’t be bothered. Your health is not worth it. If they’re good friends they’ll understand. If not, they’re not worth it anyway. If you wake up after 10 hours of sleep and are still tired – go back to sleep. Take it while you can get it! Steroids are the devil, but if you need them take them, they’re amazing… If you don’t like your doctor, find another. An educated, no nonsense GP is a must if you have a chronic illness. Find one and never let them go!

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: Laid back stress head. Ha!

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: Missing out on a childhood, growing up too soon. Kids with chronic illnesses are frequently mature beyond their years. Responsibility is pushed on us at an age where other kids are mucking about and being carefree. Missing out on school camps and classes really sucked. Joining a peer support group for adolescents with a chronic illness was one of the greatest things I ever did. I frequently think that if I didn’t have RA I wouldn’t have met so many awesome people or have the mindset that I do. I’m not judgmental because I know that what’s on the outside is usually poles apart from what’s really going on.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people. Eleanor Roosevelt

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: 1: I couldn’t put my own socks on my right foot due to very limited mobility for about a decade. Between the ages of 15-17 my Dad would put my knee high school socks on me and do my shoe laces up for me every morning. His work and my school were pretty far from where we lived so we both got up at 5.30am in the dark to get ready and travel together. It was like a secret little ritual we had. He never made a big deal about it, he just did it. Now at 24 when I think about that it makes me cry.
2. I cry at the drop of a hat! I cried the first time I did my own
shoelaces up after my hip replacement! My shoe photo is of the second
time I did it to prove that the first time wasn’t a fluke!
3. I love running. I just can’t do it for very long. Sometimes I have
dreams where I can run and run and run.

 
Thank you for walking a mile in my shoes!

 
Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:
 

Q: Current Age?
A: 47

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: 37

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 45

Q: Where are you located?
A: Downingtown, Pa.

Q: What is your profession?
A: Administrative Assistant

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Sjogrens, Lupus

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Camping, crocheting, fostering cats/kittens, Volunteering, cooking.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: The amount of fatigue I would have, how life changing it truly is.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: Travel, experience things, go hiking, walking, exploring.

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: That there is a support group for people on the internet, you are not alone, find an outlet to talk to someone about what you are going through that understands.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: I love wearing jeans and sneakers, and especially my converse all stars! Although I do get dressed up for work!

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: The complete not knowing if I will feel well one day to the next. The inability to control what I can do and cannot do.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: That which does not kill you makes you stronger.-Neitzsche

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: I am a homebody at heart
You don’ look or act sick….I try my hardest to hide my illness
I try to stay positive in everything I do. ( sometimes this is hard)

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:
 

Q: Current Age?
A: 35

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: I was 15

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 16

Q: Where are you located?
A: Bedford Uk

Q: What is your profession?
A: Housewife

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Shopping, going to cinema,spending as much time with family&friends as possible.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: Maybe this disease won’t go away as quickly as it came! How debilitating it can be.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: To never take anything or anyone for granted. Prepare yourself for the next stage of your life, starting with a smile!

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: There’s always a plan B! Don’t be afraid to speak up&let others know your pain,you’re not alone, there are plenty of people here to share your good&bad days!

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: I always try to look my best, even if I am rocking the pj’s look! If I take care of myself&my appearance it distracts my mind from the pain, almost like wearing a war mask!

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: My decreasing mobility&around 50 surgeries, at 16 I didn’t have time to adjust to the changes occurring before surgeons wanted to start “fixing” parts of my body. Pain also has greatly impacted my life.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, alone we can do so little,together we can do so much!!!

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: Oh dear, I’m a bit of an open book!!! Ummm, I’m a chocoholic&Watch too much dodgy tv, I hold the olympic gold medal for bargain hunting!!
 

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!
 

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:
 

Q: Current Age?
A: 23

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: 5

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 6

Q: Where are you located?
A: Madison, Wisconsin

Q: What is your profession?
A: Captioning Assistant. I help deaf and hard-of-hearing people use
the telephone

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Systemic Onset Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (aka Still’s Disease),
Psoriasis, Sjorgen’s Syndrome, Asthma, Uveitis, Gluten intolerance.
I’m also pretty sure I have Fibromyalgia but that hasn’t been
officially diagnosed yet.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Blogging, hiking (when I can), video games, learning and educating
others, helping people, reading, shopping, and spending time with
family and friends.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune
Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: Since I was so young, there really isn’t anything I can think of
here. I wish my previous rheumatologists had explained side effects in
more detail to me.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what
would it be?
A: It’s not leukemia and you’re not going to die in six weeks. It’s
okay to be scared, but it isn’t cancer!

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: Learn all you can about your illness. Learn to be your own
advocate. Build up a support group, and use tools like the Spoon
Theory to educate others about what you go through. And don’t be
afraid to be scared. AA is scary. Just keep your fear in check and
don’t let it consume you.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: Old Navy, Torrid, and Target make up 95% of my wardrobe. One day I
dress like a pin up model, the next I’m in sweats and t-shirts, and
the next I’m a punk rocker.

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the
biggest impact on you?
A: It was mild (ha!) for a long time and has now run into full blown
butt-kicker-y. I just miss being able to do normal things like a
normal person. Also, my gluten thing drives the quarter Italian in me
absolutely crazy. We make GF bread, which is delicious, but have not
mastered bread sticks yet.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: Oh heavens, I have so many. I love just about everything that comes
out of the Dalai Lama’s mouth, and I’m a huge music and movie freak.
But I think the most appropriate quote comes from Lucille Ball, who
had RA at a young age herself. She always dreamed of being a dancer,
and spent years learning how to walk again to accomplish that goal.
She once said: “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it
doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way
of life can restore your faith in yourself.” It’s one of the most true
things I’ve ever heard.

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: I’m stubborn, like all good Tauruses, but I let people walk all
over me sometimes even though I might not seem like I have that kind
of personality. I can read and write in Arabic, one of the most
beautiful languages in the history of mankind. I studied world
religions in college, not because I was searching for a religion but
because I love the stories behind religions and the way they interpret
the world around us.

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:

 

Q: Current Age?
A: 41

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: Early to mid-30s—Symptoms I experienced were attributed to other things early on, but once diagnosed it all came together.

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 39

Q: Where are you located?
A: Marshall, Illinois

Q: What is your profession?
A: Human Resource Coordinator

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Insulin Resistant Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Asthma, Depression, Anxiety, GERD, Lichen Sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Secondary Sojourns Syndrome, Diabetes Type II, and High Blood Pressure.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Love spending time with my daughters plus reading, writing, Facebook, and movies.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: I’ve been very fortunate, my doctor prepared me very well for what was ahead of me.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: Don’t be so hard on yourself, there is a reason you are feeling so bad, soon it will all make sense.

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: It you don’t have a lot of patience, you need to beg, borrow or steal some! The road of treatment is long, bumpy, and full of trial and error. So far I have been allergic to three medications, one had zero effect, one made my liver enzymes too high, one made my vision blurry, and I am currently on medication number seven and it is too early to know if it will work or not.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: I go for comfort mostly; I’m definitely not a fashionista. I wear a lot of skirts and sandals.

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: Learning to accept my diagnosis as a chronic illness and not be embarrassed by my limitations.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: I have a couple that I love. One is “Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option”, and “If you can’t change the people around you then CHANGE the people around you”. Unfortunately, I do not know who to attribute the quotes to, but they are two that come to my mind often.

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: I was born deaf in my left ear. Spinach is my favorite vegetable. I used to lay carpet as a part-time job.

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:
 

Q: Current Age?
A: 25

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: 2 years ago, I started looking for answers

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: The week after my 25th birthday

Q: Where are you located?
A: Panama City, Florida

Q: What is your profession?
A: Xray tech/nurse

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: rheumatoid arthritis, polycystic ovaries, hypothyroidism (so far)

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Painting, hanging out with my dog (who is awesome, in case you were wondering), reading.

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: How my quality of life would change. How the “little things” would start to mean so much. How it would effect every aspect of my being… emotionally, physically, socially.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: Let your haters be your motivators. Not everyone is gonna understand your situation. Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind. You are the only person who understands what your pain is like.

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: Get online and get educated. Find a support system other than your family and friends, you need that unbiased place where everyone ‘gets it’, and no one judges you. My place was rachicks.com.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: M-F daytime I’m in scrubs. blergh. The rest of the time I’m either in the tshirt and ‘I gave up’ yoga pants get up, OR a more cozy sweaters and skinny jean for when in public. Most clothing decisions are based on how flexible I feel that day. Rigid= yoga pants.

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: Working. I want to pull my weight. I want to excel. I want to leave work and still have enough energy to walk the dog when I get home. I want to walk up a set of stairs with ease. I want my coworkers to understand that I don’t want their sympathy, I want their cooperation. I don’t want you to make my new life with RA easier, but please don’t make it harder.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” -Yoda

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: #1-I love love. The idea, the prospect.
#2- I know what you say about me.
#3- I’ve never felt so horribly alone in my life.

This is for my family. My friends. My coworkers. My ex-boyfriend who I broke up with right before I was diagnosed. And my dog, who doesn’t need a list, doesn’t care if I’m cranky, doesn’t care if I don’t feel like playing, she’s just glad I’m here.
 

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!
 

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

It has only been 5 years since my diagnosis but it has changed my life. Take a walk in my shoes…
 

Q: Current Age?
A: 28

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: I was 22 and pregnant with my second child. My doctor and I both thought all the swelling was simply due to the pregnancy but when I turned 23 (and had my daughter on my birthday J ) the swelling was not going away. My knee felt funny one day while I was changing my daughters diaper and the rest of the day it felt as if it needed to snap. Finally, while at a store it did just that and it felt much better, but only for a short period of time. That evening my knee began to swell up and I could not even bend my knee by the time it was done. I went to the doctor, while my husband was deploying to Iraq, and found out that I had RA. I knew it was a possibility because my mother has RA and her mother had RA also. No one could believe that I had RA at such a young age. I was terrified because I had seen the damage caused to my grandmothers hands, feet, and body. My grandmother was not able to walk the last 30+ years of her life, and that is what I associated RA with. What I did not see was that there were so many more treatments available to me than had been available to my grandmother.

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 23

Q: Where are you located?
A: Fredericksburg, Virginia

Q: What is your profession?
A: I am currently a stay-at-home mother and attending online college to earn my BS in Forensics.

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis. I do show symptoms of Hypoglycemia but have never been positively diagnosed with it.

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: I love spending time with my children and husband, watching movies, scrapbooking, quilting, reading, and currently homework J

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: I knew the hardships I would be facing since I grew up watching my grandmother suffer with RA but I wish my doctor would have told me how I was going to have to struggle with the emotional battle of coming to terms with living with RA for the rest of my life.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: Having RA does not mean I cannot do things, it is part of who you are and you are a strong woman.

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: So many women and men live with RA every day. If your doctor tells you injections may work best for you then do it. This is one area I struggled with, I did not want to get on injections and fought my doctor for over a year about it. I finally decided that I better begin injections because I would have a better chance to control my RA and I have felt the benefits of the injections.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: I am pretty laid back with my style but I do like to get dressed up and look pretty from time to time.

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: I have had to learn to ask for help from others (including my husband) because I do not want to cause my RA to flair up.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: I personally like “Love is not a matter of counting the years…it is a matter of making the years count”

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: I secretly compete with my husband in our GPA’s for college (which I am totally kicking his butt).
I like to play video games sometimes.
I am completely terrified to go back into the work force…but I know I will do great!

 
Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

 
Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.

One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:

Q: Current Age?
A: 29

Q: Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
A: I was 22

Q: Age of Diagnosis?
A: 26

Q: Where are you located?
A: Baltimore, MD

Q: What is your profession?
A: Stay at home Mom

Q: What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
A: Rheumatoid Arthritis

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: Photography, facebook games, crafts

Q: What is one thing your doctor didn’t tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
A: How it would change my life….so much.

Q: If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
A: Take each day and make the best of it, Always cherish the small things because that’s what matters most.

Q: What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
A: It’s not going to be easy, you are not alone. If you don’t understand something always ask questions. Push your self even on the days you want to give up.

Q: How would you describe your personal style?
A: I am a t-shirt & Jeans kinda chick

Q: What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
A: Having to say no to the ones I love.

Q: Favorite quote?
A: A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new….Albert Einstein

Q: What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
A: I am always worried about what is next in this crazy ride with RA.
I love to cook.
I don’t like big dogs.

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

Check here to see all the blogs in this series.

If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses.