The challenges of being a teen living with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in joints. If you break down the word "arthritis" its literally means (itis) inflammation and (arthr) joints meaning inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid Arthritis also play a big role in your immune system, most of the time people with RA have weak or compromised immune systems meaning they could get sick very easy and catch anything that others might have despite being vaccinated. Being 17 and having RA is difficult in itself, medical professionals exclaim "Although it most commonly strikes between the ages of 30 and 60 in women, it often occurs later in life for men". Although having RA is hard at this age, I still get up and face the day even though it can be stressful. Having arthritis doesn't mean you are limited of doing certain things, you are still the same person you were before you were diagnosed. It is very important to stay active and keep your joints loose because if you stay active your joints and body won't get tight. If you're not active this could potentially create damage to your joints and body. Your muscles could become hypertonic and this would make it very hard to move, stretch, or try to become active after this has set in, it wouldn't be impossible to become active after you are hypertonic but it defiantly would be uncomfortable or challenging. Researchers announced "As RA progresses, the inflamed joint lining invades and destroys nearby cartilage and bone. Muscles, ligaments and tendons that support the joint weaken" this can be helped by medicines, exercise, and eating healthy. These things may seem to be small or not as important to some people but the little things are what really help. I'm 17 I still have a long life ahead of me, I do these little things because I want to be able to move when I'm 60 years old I want to be in the best condition my body can be in at my age. Having Rheumatoid Arthritis doesn't make you different or weird in anyway, it makes you unique and you will appreciate life a lot more because you may have it hard than some people with RA. As you see below there a huge difference between normal joints and the joints of someone with Rheumatoid Arthritis.
0 Comments
|
About me~I'm 17 years old, I want my story to be heard and I want to hear about other people stories. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 15. In the past 2 years I have been through a lot with going to the DeVos Children's Hospital to the Rheumatology specialist and taking different medicines that are suppose to help. Since I was diagnosed I have lost mobility in my legs & the doctors are not calling my RA juvenile anymore. Although I have RA it has changed my life drastically but no matter what life throws at me, I'll always be thankful for everything I have. ArchivesCategories |