"The Great Crippler"

As a young child, at the age of seven, I had suffered allot of aches and pain, in both my arms and legs. It wasn't anything severe. This was nothing that Tylenol, Advil or Aleve could not take care of. Recently, these past two months have really taken a toll on me. I have had excruciating and unbearable pain strike all over my body - shoulders, spine, butt, hips, elbow, wrist, ankles, knees and fingers. After checking in with our family physician, I have now been diagnosed with a common disease in my family, called Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is also known as the crippling disease. This is my first year to experience the full blown inflammatory pain which doesn't allow me to fill my daily schedule or normal routine with my regular everyday tasks. Our family physician has referred me to a Rheumatologist. I was advised that I needed to get my disease under control and that it was critical in the first year. This sickness has crippled many and cause deformities in the joints of many individuals such as my mother’s sister Kathy Tua’one. She has been pronounced as disabled. This is something I am desperately trying to prevent. However, as I called Dr. Call, Gremillion and Dr. Mathew’s offices, they were about four to six months out as in booked in appointments for treatment. Now, I take one day at a time to cope with these crippling aches and pain. I really am going through that stage of acceptance, that this is my life and my life has changed whether I like it or not. So, from here on out, I will continue to strive to refrain from negativity, cease to complain, I will not to cry and I will definitely, not feel sorry for myself.