End of Semester Stress and RA

Who would have thought: I'm sick again! And it's at the worst possible time for a graduate student: finals week. This serves as a stark reminder of how much my body has been and continues to be affected by RA, particularly during times of intense stress and illness. I understand that stress makes me more susceptible to illnesses, and considering I have RA and I'm on Humira, I imagine that stress amplifies my susceptibility even more.

My medication makes me more susceptible to illnesses

Last week, I woke up with terrible congestion and a cough. I'm no stranger to colds, especially since Humira is known to cause frequent sinus infections and upper respiratory problems, but this one felt different. It was as if something had taken hold of my chest. I experienced tightness, coughing, and pressure, and I knew that something was wrong. However, because it was close to finals week, I didn't have time to visit the doctor until later in the week. Papers, work deadlines, and readings kept piling up.

This turned out to be a major mistake because by Thursday/Friday of that same week, I was extremely ill. All my symptoms had worsened, and I had to go to urgent care since my cough had become increasingly productive. What was initially believed to be a cold or virus turned out to be a bacterial infection in my lungs. Yikes!

Navigating recovery challenges

With an antibiotic prescription, cough medicine, and ibuprofen in hand, I managed to prevent my infection from worsening. However, that doesn't mean I'm fully recovered.

As of now (one week after visiting urgent care), I'm still somewhat sick and in the process of recovering. I've had to take a few days off work and abstain from working on my school projects. Even though I despise doing so, I understand the importance of slowing down and allowing myself to recover.

Immunosuppression due to RA treatment

Recovery becomes especially significant when you have RA and are taking Humira. Since Humira is an immunosuppressive drug, it takes longer for immunocompromised individuals to overcome illnesses that most people recover from quickly. Conversely, it also means that common "everyday" illnesses, such as a cold or sinus infection, have a much more severe impact on immunocompromised individuals.

Balancing college stress and life with RA

This makes me reflect on how much RA continues to affect my body as I navigate life with this condition. My experiences diverge from conventional notions of health and illness. Nevertheless, it's still frustrating when I'm expected to meet the same standards as everyone else and society in terms of completing my work.

For instance, despite still being sick, I must finish my MA thesis and another 15-page paper. This has proven to be inherently challenging for me (and I believe it would be for anyone with RA who is also ill) because I lack the mental capacity and energy to complete them. Since this is my final semester in grad school, my options for obtaining extensions are limited at this point. I know I will find a solution, but it's frustrating to witness how much having RA can intersect with various aspects of life.