The RA Rollercoaster

By Monica Y. Sengupta

3 min read

There was a time when I thought life was linear. I would go to school, graduate high school, go to college, take one year off, go to vet school, do my residency then start my career...
...

...
HAH! Is all I can say about that.

An RA diagnosis during college

Halfway through my college career, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and, try as I might to stay on the same track, I found out real quickly that life no longer fell on the straight and narrow. It felt more like jumping from a plane without a parachute, to be honest.

But, as I tried more and more medications and altered my lifestyle, I found myself snatched from freefall and landing in a rather rickety rollercoaster seat.

A never-ending rollercoaster

Let me preface this by saying, I’ve been in a pretty good place, medically, for many years now. I would even venture to say an even-keeled 5-6 years.

However, I still find myself on the never-ending rollercoaster of daily to monthly struggles of rheumatoid arthritis.

The loop-de-loops of managing RA

This autoimmune won’t quit. Just as I think, "Hey, I’m on a flat piece track," I lurch forward and up and down. Just as I think, "Hey, I’ve gotten a slight handle on this," I’m sent for a massive loop-de-loop.

Drastic changes in symptoms

RA is a present that keeps on giving. I may wake up feeling flared and have to increase my prednisone. I may have been in a flare for days and wake up feeling perfectly fine.

Even within the day, I may go up to down and all around.

Of course, no rollercoaster is complete without that quick drop that makes you feel like your organs left your body and that has happened more times than I can count. Most notably, a few years ago.

I thought I had reached a version of remission. I was still on all my medications, but I was on the lowest dose of steroids ever and I nearly forgot that I had RA most days! That, unfortunately, only lasted a few months.

I was feeling good, even great, and then all of a sudden: pitfall. I flared nastily without any warning and I was back on that rollercoaster loop at full speed.

My chronic sinusitis was back

A more recent experience (a little less RA-related but still inflammation so...) happened with my chronic sinusitis. If you've read any of my previous articles, you may know about my ongoing sinus issues.

After my second cat, Sunsilk, passed away in November 2020, my sinus issues miraculously disappeared. At the time, I had a slight infection but after I washed my clothes and my bed linens, my sinus issues disappeared overnight (note: I am allergic to cats and dogs).

I had no warning

It was not until about a few months ago (March 2021) that I woke up with a massive amount of blood in my sinuses (a new post on that saga coming soon!).

I had no warning. My sinuses were doing great. I had no congestion and no pressure. I had no allergy symptoms, etc, and POOF! One day, I woke up and my chronic sinusitis was back in full force.

There's always a surprise

Every time I feel like I have something under control, I’m always in for a surprise.

Rollercoasters don’t stop, just like these chronic illnesses. They are a constant circuit that lets us grab the reins for a while before shifting gears and jerking us around.

What are some examples of your RA rollercoaster? LMK in the comments!

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The RheumatoidArthritis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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L rick Phillips Moderator & Contributor
 Hey I like roller coasters. I mean not medical of course. But yeah sign me up for six flags over anywhere or Cedar Point or, ahh heck just sign me up for all of them. rick 
1. Monica Y. Sengupta Moderator & Contributor
 Can't. Relate. I hate rollercoasters. They really freak me out!! 
2. L rick Phillips Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Monica Y. Sengupta" user-id="3214456"/> That is what Sheryl used to say until i got her on her first rollercoaster. Then at the top of the first hill her hate took an ugly turn. The ugly turn turned to her seat mate. Thank goodness her seat mate was laughing to hard, he did not hear what she might have said. Oh well.
Effie Koliopoulos Moderator & Contributor
I can relate to this so much! Back in the day, I kept getting strep throat while on a certain biologic, and I was diagnosed right before starting college. I'm thinking amusement parks should start marking rollercoasters based on the RA experience. I would not go on though! Ha. -Effie, team member
1. Monica Y. Sengupta Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Effie Koliopoulos" user-id="3227889"/> Hah! That would definitely be a very unpopular ride! The constant jerks alone would make anyone nauseous!
Daniel Malito Moderator & Contributor
<inline-mention username="Monica Y. Sengupta" user-id="3214456"/> People would always ask me how I don't let things get to me that much and I'd always say because life is a zero sum game - nobody wins and nobody gets out alive. Not even in a morbid way though, just that no matter what path you chose it's going to have just about the same amount of hardships, joys, and twists and turns as any of the other paths you pick. There is no "perfect" way through life and anyone who says there is probably is trying to get you to board their spaceship to Mars. Life is the twists and turns. The best (and the worst) stuff always happens when you hit those unexpected corners. You just keep walking forward as best you can! Rollercoaster, indeed. Keep on keepin' on, DPM
1. Richard Faust Community Admin
 Hey <inline-mention username="Daniel Malito" user-id="3160778"/>. Is that the "Archer" Mars colonization or the Robert Zubrin Mars Direct (you can look it up, but one of my former bosses joked about it being the equivalent of sending a mission with a lunch pale and saying "good luck)? My point is, like yours, no two paths are the same and there probably isn't a return trip (like that comeback to the one way Mars trip), so one might as well make the best of it and know there will be ups and downs. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)