True stories
The pain can be horrendous and I battle with depression, but I have to get through it for my children, explains Fiona Brien
I was diagnosed with systemic sclerosis, Raynaud’s phenomenon, rheumatoid arthritis and underlining lupus in 1982 when I was just nine years old. Continue reading
Don’t look back at what you can’t do but look forward and enjoy what you still can do, says Chris Smith from Lincolnshire
I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis in 2007. I had to take medical retirement from work as a nurse and initially was able to do very little at home.
My GP had quickly referred me to rheumatology and treatment started with hydroxychloroquine (a DMARD) and then progressed to methotrexate. Continue reading
Motherhood has inspired Chelsea Wood to stay positive and active despite having mixed connective tissue disease and Raynaud’s
I was 15 years old when I was clinically diagnosed with Raynaud’s, a condition that I later found out my mother had. The doctors told me that I would grow out of it, but instead my symptoms got worse and at the age of 17 years old I was sent to see a consultant rheumatologist. Continue reading
Move it or lose it, says Jo Warburton, who is determined not to let osteoarthritis hold her back
When I was only 48 years old I noticed my left thumb was sore and creaky at the base. My GP referred me for an X-ray and I wasn’t surprised that it was osteoarthritis as I already had it in my knees. Continue reading
Sometimes running a marathon just isn’t going to be possible, Cassie Lockhart explains, after being diagnosed with palindromic arthritis
In summer 2014, when I was 22 years old, I noticed swelling on my knees and ankles that would leave a mark as if I had been wearing socks that were too tight, and it began to progress to my hands and fingers.
The GP explored a number of possible problems, such as fluid retention, but during the investigations I developed more severe pain during flare-ups. Continue reading
