Well, I haven't joined one of these support groups yet, but I have been thinking about it for a long time! So I am finally doing it. A little about me, well I am 21 years old, I am attending university right now. I am a graphic design major, and so far I am loving it! After this semester I will have 3 more to go and then I will have my graphic design degree. After I am done university, I want to get a Masters in Advertising, either that or law school somewhere. Anyway, thats just where I am in life now! Well, this is my story. I have been having joint problems for about a year now, and I was diagnosed with RA about 7 months ago. At first, like alot of you, I didn't know what was happenening to me. I hurt all the time and I could barely walk some days. I was late for classes sometimes just because I couldn't get there. I was scared! I was only 20 and could barely walk. So I went to the campus doctors and the doctor told me that I was just too stressed and I needed to just relax. But I knew that there was something wrong, so when I went home in the summer, I went to my doctor and he was pretty sure that it was RA. I was sent to a rhuemetologist, but I waited forever because the waiting list are so long!! Meanwhile my family doctor put me on plaqunil. After finally seeing the rhuematolgist, I was also put on methotrexate. I was on the pills at first, but he switched me to the injections. I have gotten 2 steroid shots thus far, and I hope that I don't have to have another one. I am surprised that I am relatively pain free, now though. I mean I still feel it everyday, but I can move!! This last summer was so bad! I could barely walk and there were days when I could not dress myself. On a daily basis I was scared to move when I woke up because it hurt to just lay in bed. I cried on a daily basis. I was only 20 and I could barely move, and when I did, it hurt. I didn't understand. One day I happened upon a lady who was in her sixties and had had RA for the last 20 years. One of the things that she said to me was, decide now to be happy. She said that it took here two years to decide to be happy despite the pain, she said that if I figured that out, it would be much more bareable. And she is right. I decided that day that even though I feel it every day, I am going to be happy. I am only 21 right now, I have alot of life ahead of me, so there is no use being grumpy about it. It was not easy at first to be happy but, one thing that I did was that when I woke up in the morning, I would yell "BEST DAY EVER!!" I think my roommates thought I was crazy, but I know that I was happy! I also pray. I pray all the time, and I know that someone hears me. I love my life! Being a graphic designer isn't the easiest thing to do with RA but I am doing it. I love life, and honestly I feel so blessed. It amazing how many things that I took for granted before, like walking. I love everyday that I can walk. I just hope that I always can!
