True stories
Somerset King, a young mother with rheumatoid arthritis, describes her quest for a drug-free future
Five years a
go I went to my doctor as I was having pains in my left knuckle. At the time I was a teacher and was finding marking my pupils’ books difficult. I thought it was just repetitive strain injury but my doctor did an anti-CCP blood test, which came back as positive and I was referred to a rheumatology unit.
I had a three year old and an 18 month old and I thought my world had ended. I was worried about the future and what this diagnosis meant for me. Continue reading
Adapting to her diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome has been a real challenge for Jaime Davis
I am 30 years old and live in Surrey in the UK with my partner, who is also my carer. My journey with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome has been a long one with many obstacles.
It took 10 years to get a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Type 3 (Hypermobility), during which time I was told that I was depressed, the pain was all in my head, that I had fibromyalgia and lastly, that I was an attention seeker.
I actually stumbled across the condition myself after learning of a friend who suffered from a rarer form of it. Continue reading
A diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren’s when she was 22 years old sent Cristina Montoya into a deep depression. But medication, meditation and dietary changes helped her retake control
In 2004 I was training to be a dietitian in Colombia, where I’m originally from. I was working at a hospital in Medellin, and the elevator was not working so we had to go up and down the stairs many times a day for three weeks. One day both of my knees starting hurting and I thought it was because of the up and down movement. But a month later, I had terrible headaches and all my fingers started to look like sausages. It was frustrating because I was a young researcher at my university and had a lot of typing to do. Every hit on the keyboard was painful. Continue reading
Lack of support after her diagnosis of scleroderma led to Tina Dowden reaching out to others in her area and setting up a support group
I’m 37 years old and live in Louisiana in the US where I work as a real estate agent and manage property for weekend/vacation rentals. I am married and I have a son who is 14 years old and a daughter who is 11 years old.
Five years ago I started having scleroderma symptoms, such as painful flare-ups in the wrists and then Raynaud’s set in. It turns out that most people with systemic sclerosis develop an unusual sensitivity to the cold when fingers or toes turn white and then blue in the cold. I also had red spots on my chest, discoloration on my face, arms and chest and I noticed a shiny mark on my chest.
But it wasn’t until I started having heart palpitations and passed out that I knew something was really wrong. Continue reading
Sangram Singh… from childhood arthritis to international wrestler
Best known for his success in the wrestling arena, Sangram Singh had a difficult start in life due to a diagnosis of arthritis as a child. He shares his story exclusively with Iona Walton from Arthritis Digest magazine
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when just three years old and unfortunately did not respond well to medication. Back then in India there were fewer facilities for physiotherapy so it was a hard time and I spent eight years in a wheelchair. Continue reading
