Perceptions of RA
I have been living with RA since the early-mid 2000's. I do have flares, swelling, decreased mobility, etc. I also have Interstitial Lung Disease secondary to RA. Just this past year, (thanks to chronic systemic inflammation) have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease. Since my fingers are "relatively" straight, people hear me say I am now disabled due to RA, they look at my hands, and ALOT of people even say things like, " Oh I know someone with RA, but theirs is worse than yours...." Then I find myself ALOT saying, has theirs affected their lungs, or heart, or joints in the throat yet? If they say it with judgement oozing from their voice and face, I adjust my response as well. It has been over 20 years and it still gets me, even though I realize that they understand the word arthritis but haven't a CLUE what Rheumatoid means. Does anyone else have a similar experience?
RA is so much more than what shows up on the outside, and unfortunately, that will go over a lot of people's heads, especially those who don't live with it. But you shouldn't have to explain or defend your experience to make others understand either. I want to share this forum with you because I think you may find others there who understand what it's like to have an illness that people don't always see or understand. You can access it here: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/forums/the-invisible-disease. I hope this gives you a little bit of reassurance in knowing that you're not the only one who experiences this. I'm curious to know: how do you decide when it's worth explaining your situation to someone and when it's better to leave it alone? -Latoya (Team Member)
