Still think arthritis is just “joint pain?”
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On behalf of World Arthritis Day, I’m sharing the many ways RA has affected my life *beyond* joint pain since I was diagnosed at age 21:
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✅Fatigue – you know that feeling when you have the flu and you’re just exhausted? That’s what the fatigue from autoimmune disease is like. Going from an active, healthy person who ran and played soccer everyday to not being able to get out of bed was incredibly scary!
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✅Having to say “no” when you want to say “yes:” fatigue and pain flare ups led me to have to say no to things like going out late at night with friends – things that a typical 20-something doesn’t have to deal with. As a “yes” person, this was really hard as I had serious FOMO (fear of missing out).
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✅Social effects: misunderstandings can lead to friends, family and romantic partners questioning the seriousness of your symptoms since you “don’t look sick.”
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✅Stress/anxiety: being diagnosed with a progressive systemic disease led to stress about my future – would I be able to work? Have children? Do the things I love like soccer and running? The mental aspect of being diagnosed with chronic illness cannot be overlooked!
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✅Financial and logistical burden: the medications for RA are the most expensive pharmaceuticals other than cancer treatment. Therefore in the US many insurance companies create barriers, which means patients have to deal with the financial burden and/or the logistical burden of accessing them.
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✅Mental load: it takes a LOT of mental energy to learn how to BE a patient, how to track symptoms, make sense of medical information, advocate for yourself, keep track of meds and more. This is one of the biggest reasons I developed my “RA Roadmap” online course!
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I want to also say this disease has brought some beautiful things into my life:
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❤️A community of fellow chronic illness warriors who support and uplift each other.
❤️Health providers and therapists who GET IT.
❤️A better ability to advocate for myself and my needs.
❤️A sense of purpose in my “Arthritis Life” work.
@jesskeenerphoto photo credit
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What about you – how has arthritis affected your life beyond joint pain?
