Knotty Notes

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!

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