Hello!
My name is Sarah White and I am a 27 year old Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer from Cumbria, the North West of England.
My name is Sarah White and I am a 27 year old Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferer from Cumbria, the North West of England.
I am a part qualified accountant and up until the birth of my first child, I also co-owned a dance school with four of my best friends.
When I was first diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I was shocked as I was under the common misconception that arthritis was something that old people got. I was desperate to relate to someone my age who was going through the same things as me. I just wanted to be able to speak to someone who understood, and also who could give me some idea of what was to come. I searched and searched but struggled to find what I was looking for.
With being stuck in the house so much, unable to drive or walk anywhere, I started to read blogs. This was something enjoyable that I could do without pain! The first blog I began reading was Kayleigh's blog, which you can find here. While I read the blog posts, it was like I was escaping the pain and boredom that RA brings and I suddenly felt inspired to start my own. The trouble was I didn't know what to write about.
Then one day it dawned on me,"why don't I start up my own blog and document my arthritis journey?!"
Writing this blog is not only my way of getting things off my chest when I am feeling particularly frustrated, but it could help another young person in the way I was hoping for myself a few months ago.
I would love to hear from you if you have a story to tell, experiences to share, or just need someone to relate to.
Hope you all enjoy :)
xo
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI am 25 year old from Australia, and I was properly diagnosed with RA when I was 22, however I had been experiencing pain since I was 16 and doctors were just prescribing me with NSAIDS. My RA is now managed with the appropriate medication and the past few years have been relatively pain free. I got married on November 2nd 2012 (I see you have the same date for 2013!). We have dreams of children on the horizon, but a few years away yet. That is something new to tackle with RA.
It is nice to find these blogs by other young people with RA, you start to feel so isolated by the disease. But reading about other people's experiences can help a great deal! All the best, I will be adding your blog to my follow list :)
Hi :)
DeleteI was also initially prescribed NSAIDS, but only for about 2 weeks, as they weren't strong enough to tackle the amount of swelling that I had. I was put on to steroids after this as a "temporary measure" until I was diagnosed.
It is good to hear that you are now relatively pain free, I am looking forward to getting to that place, but I havent found the right medication, or doseage of medication yet.
You are so right though, the best way to get through the isolation is to talk to other sufferers.
Wishing you all the best for your health x