“I don’t know anyone with arthritis.”
This is the most common answer we heard when we recently asked Americans: How many people do you know who are living with arthritis ?
Ten years ago, Raquel Masco didn’t think she knew anyone with arthritis either. That’s when she began experiencing unusual symptoms.Continue readingIt Doesn’t Have to Be Visible to Be Real
As part of our vetting process forArthritis by the Numbers– a collection of verified arthritis facts and figures – we invited patients to comment on the disease section that most affected their lives. After all, they are the experts on how arthritis changes and challenges everyday living.
Meet Craig Buhr, who is challenged by gout and OA. Following, in his own words, are his thoughts about the statistics he reviewed in Arthritis by the Numbers – and how they relate to him personally.
Continue readingPatient Partner’s Words of Wisdom About Living With Gout & OA
Among patient partners who reviewedArthritis by the Numbers– a collection of verified arthritis facts and figures – was the Soler family of Georgia. Robin Soler has been active with the Arthritis Foundation ever since her younger daughter, Isabela, was diagnosed withjuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). At the time she was one of the youngest children in the state to be diagnosed with JIA at just 12 months old.
Over the past 15 years, mother and daughter have seen about 50 different doctors and scores of other medical experts. Isabela has taken at least 20 different types of prescription drugs – consuming more than 15,000 pills in her lifetime, not including antibiotics and other normal childhood drugs. She has missed countless parties and playdates, and one recent semester had to skip 7thperiod 21 times for doctor’s appointments.
Isabela’s mother, Robin, is a developmental psychologist and senior scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Robin has had her own personal experience with arthritis, diagnosed withfibromyalgiawhen she was 26, though herchronic paingoes back to her mid-teens.
在回顾了我们收集到的关节炎统计数据后，罗宾的主要结论是:“我很高兴知道有这样的信息，但我担心的是这些数字给父母描绘的画面。我们和我们的孩子需要充满希望。”
Continue readingJA Mom: “I Know Just Enough to Know I Don’t Know Enough.”
9月一个闷热的下午，特里·布拉德肖(Terry Bradshaw)在他位于俄克拉何马州萨克维尔(Thackerville)的牧场的驯马设施附近闲逛，回想着几天前的70岁生日。布拉德肖说:“我一直都很开心。”“好的和坏的，所有的。”Continue readingHead to Head With RA
As part of our vetting process forArthritis by the Numbers– a collection of verified arthritis facts and figures – we invited patients to comment on the disease section that most affected their lives. After all, they are the experts on how the disease changes and challenges everyday living.
Meet Karen Lomas, 65, who works full-time as a nurse. Following, in her own words, is Karen’s story about living withpsoriatic arthritis(PsA), which she was diagnosed with several years ago, and how the statistics she reviewed in Arthritis by the Numbers relate to her personally.Continue readingNurse With Psoriatic Arthritis: “Take Care of Yourself”
When Mark Rucker was diagnosed in 2015 withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)at 44, he had mixed emotions. He was glad to know what had been causing the often unbearable pain in his hands, feet, jaw and toes for the past year. But, he recalls, “I always thought RA was a disease that only affected elderly women, not someone who was in the midst of training for their second Ironman competition.”
马克是肯塔基州列克星敦的一名房地产律师，过去他自称是一个“385磅重的沙发土豆”。2011年，他被告知自己太大了，不能和孩子们一起坐过山车，这促使他改变了生活方式。He traded in sugary sodas for water, cut processed sugar and addedfruitsandvegetablesto his diet, and began to walk a mile each day during his lunch hour. He lost 135 pounds, and those lifestyle changes led him in 2013 to complete his first Ironman – a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.
Continue readingLife Doesn’t Stop with RA: How Three People Keep Doing What They Love