New to the RA Family
I am new to this. Was just diagnosed with RA a couple of months ago. I am 62 years old. I really thought I was too old and that only younger people got this.
I remembered my father's diagnosis
I remember as a child my Dad was diagnosed with this in his twenties. The memories of how his flares would put him in the hospital. How his hands would swell, the paraffin treatments. The time he couldn’t walk, and end up in the hospital. Those were my memories from a young age. He then pass away at 40. So here I am many years later.
The symptoms came on gradually
Starting with pain in my feet, thought from the fun dress shoes I like to wear. Then my shoulders where I couldn’t raise my arms in morning. I am a Tai Chi instructor so I would work my arms to get them moving. Then my neck started bothering me and could hardly turn my head. I started to associate my bed with pain. I felt like I was turning into stone at night.
They got bad enough that I finally went to the doctor
Here I am trying to get back to a somewhat normal life. Have to tell you this RA really sucks! This is truly not the journey I wanted to be on. This my story. Thank you.
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