Cristina Schaefer is aChronic Strength Champion, which means she doesn’t just take control of her pain — she battles back. Read to learn how Cristina has found ways to overcome her rheumatoid arthritis.
Seventeen years ago, my life changed when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. As someone who had always been active and athletic, the diagnosis hit me like a ton of bricks. Some days, I’d wake up with my elbows completely locked in a bent position, or my knees would lock when I’d stand. After a few years on biologic treatments, I was able to live, work and play again with little to no pain most days.
当我和丈夫决定组建家庭时，我必须停止药物治疗，10多年来，这些药物一直让我保持活力，相对来说没有疼痛。那是一段充满压力和痛苦的时期，但最终当我们的女儿出生时，一切都是值得的。在她出生的一个星期内，我的风湿性关节炎症状卷土重来。作为一个新妈妈，所有必需的、有爱的任务——抱她、拍连体衣、换尿布——突然间变得不可能了。不久之后，我去见了我的医生，开始了一个新的治疗计划。
Staying in control
Now, almost five years later, my doctor is still working with me to get me back to the controlled state I was in. Some days are great, others are not so great. All I can do is take each day as it comes and fight. I’ve said that a good measure of control over my arthritis revolved around the ability to give my daughter a bath and braid her hair at night without pain after working a long day.
Recently, I was paired with a medication that has helped me regain some of that control. I’ve found that setting goals for myself helps me stay motivated and get even stronger. When the Arthritis Foundation launched theVim app，我立即下载了它，并开始跟踪我的进度。在粉碎了我最初的目标后，现在我把我的目标放在新的举重和其他体育活动的目标上，以支持我的身体健康，所以我可以确保我的健康，在未来的许多年里，我的女儿成长。对于关节炎患者来说，很难找到不让人觉得遥不可及的健身资源和目标，而Vim满足了我们和我们的需求。
When I have downtime or periods of rest and recovery between my exercise regimens, I have found getting back to the gym is easier when I use daily affirmations. Lately these include telling myselfI’m doing my best, I believe in myself, all progress is progressandI will listen to my body.
Connecting to resources and the Arthritis Foundation community
In researching pain management and sleep deprivation — the two areas I am often challenged with the most when it comes to my RA symptoms — the Arthritis Foundation has been a crucial resource in finding the helpful information I need. Over the years, this has includedinformative webinars, theLive Yes! With Arthritispodcast,blog postson the topics,dietary resourcesand, most recently,in-depth information on using CBD帮助缓解疼痛和睡眠不足。我还没有尝试过CBD，但我感觉自己对它有了更多的了解，了解了使用它的方法以及不同方法/应用的优缺点。
Since the beginning of my journey with RA, I have been involved with the Arthritis Foundation through Walk to Cure Arthritis. I have connected with so many helpful resources and met many inspiring and supportive people through this community. This year, I am honored to co-chair theNational Walk to Cure Arthritisand bring my ideas and passion to the national level. When I’m not busy working as a social media professional or spending time with my family, I also serve as vice chair on the Foundation’s Houston leadership board and the patient leadership council.