True stories
The loss of your former self is a mourning process and I don’t know if and when that ends, says Andrea Willis
Most of us have experienced some form of loss in our lives. As a society we have learned how to cope with the finality of death. There are religious and cultural ceremonies, people attend memorials, send cards and flowers and even bring food. Continue reading
Graham John Campbell, on coming to terms with his diagnosis of Forestier’s disease
I am reasonably fit and healthy but just over five years ago, when I was 49 years old, I began to have severe pins and needles in both hands, which was diagnosed as ulnar nerve compression (at the elbow). Continue reading
A devastating diagnosis of early onset osteoarthritis became the inspiration for Stuart Jackson’s book of poetry
My journey with osteoarthritis began when I started noticing that I was having great difficulty with climbing the stairs – in terms of pain and stiffness – and getting in and out of the bath. The pain in my legs began to get much worse and my partner suggested I go to see my GP. Continue reading
My battle to be diagnosed means my joints were severely damaged by rheumatoid arthritis, explains Anoushka Anand
I was unofficially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2007, while on vacation in India. For the next three years, I experienced painful daily symptoms while fighting an uphill battle with my GP, as he did not believe that I had rheumatoid arthritis and would not run any tests, advising me that what I was suffering from was probably growing pains that would settle with time. Continue reading
Haemochromatosis should be diagnosed more quickly to avoid long-term damage, highlights Noel
I was diagnosed with haemochromatosis when I was 47 years old. For two years I had been experiencing general joint arthropathy, particularly in my finger joints, knees and shoulders, and an increasing lack of energy. Continue reading
