Living with RA

I have had RA for 39 years. It always seemed like I was the youngest at the doctors.Those posters in the exam room that showed the progession of disease in the hands scared me I was never sure of how disabled I would be when I was an adult. I never met any other children with RA. It's different now with the internet. It's easy to find people with the same condition. I used to wish I had people with RA to talk to but now I kinda have a hard time reaching out. Mostly because it doesn't matter if the people around you are strangers they don't get it or they make asumptions about me because of the people around. If they're around long enough they start to get it or they don't and move on and are strangers. Well ...people shouldn't assume things. My 2 close friends always tell me, they forget that I have it. When I mention something about my RA, they always offer to open stuff; if I can't or whatever I'm having difficultly with. It makes me feel good when they say I forgot because that means they see me as Shana not the RA. After a while I feel like that's all there is between the pain, tiredness, frustration and always going to the Dr. Even though I know it doesn't define me it has shaped me into the person I am.