PINSTRIPE SNEAKERS

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!
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