Diagnosis of RA, Finally

For most of my life, I struggled with my weight. Eventually I developed fatty liver disease, and my doctors told me gastric bypass surgery was my best option.

Strange symptoms keep creeping up

Before the surgery, though, something strange kept happening. I would end up in the ER with sudden swelling — a foot, a hand, sometimes a leg. Each time I was given steroids, and each time it would resolve. No clear answers on the symptoms.

Immediately after surgery, both of my knees swelled so badly I couldn’t walk. The hospital ran tests and even checked to make sure I hadn’t been injured during surgery. Still no explanation. After losing weight, I became the healthiest I had ever been. I started running. I completed a half marathon. I rode the MS150 from Houston to Austin. I felt like I had finally outrun whatever had been chasing me. But recovery from exercise became harder and harder. The random swelling episodes continued. Finally, one ER doctor looked at the pattern and suggested rheumatoid arthritis. He referred me to a rheumatologist.

RA diagnosis took a while

Like many autoimmune journeys, diagnosis wasn’t immediate. It took years. Around 2016, I officially received my RA diagnosis. Since then, I’ve faced uveitis and scleritis in both eyes at different times. One severe flare required nearly three years of high-dose steroids to control, which ultimately led to osteoporosis in my spine.

Singing my song

Through all of it, I still work full time. I still ride motorcycles. And I’m a singer-songwriter. At the end of last year, I released an album. The title track is called “My Pain.” I chose that title because autoimmune disease is deeply personal. Pain is invisible to most people. It’s misunderstood. It shifts, it spreads, it tests you physically and mentally. But it also shapes you. The song isn’t about giving up — it’s about acknowledging the struggle and still standing. I wrote it because I know I’m not the only one fighting battles that others can’t see. “My Pain” is available on streaming platforms for anyone who would like to hear it. If it resonates with you or helps you feel understood, I would truly appreciate hearing from you. If our stories can help even one person feel less alone, then the pain has a purpose.

Autoimmune disease changed my life — but it didn’t define the end of it.

I’m still moving forward. -Russ