Facing
Forward is a series that shares the lives of people living with arthritis
and other invisible chronic illnesses. The goal of the series is to see how we
are similar and how we are different - and to remind us to keep moving forward
because we aren't alone!
Name: Kate
Location: Austin, TX
Diagnoses: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Age at Diagnoses: 21
How are you currently
treating your conditions?
Currently I am taking Humira, which
fortunately has done wonders for me. I also remain very active. I exercise a
couple times a week. I am also an active stepmom and teach special education to
elementary students.
What are the biggest
challenges you have faced since your diagnosis?
I think the biggest challenge for me
was the initial depression I experienced. I was a young vibrant person who
fairly quickly had incredible pain and challenges. I did not trust my own body
anymore. I mean come on?!?! Whose body attacks themselves internally? It
sounded crazy to me.
Unfortunately my means of
dealing with this was to ignore it, I think I hoped it would just all go away. I
pushed through the unbelievable pain, sometimes it would take me 45 minutes
just to get dressed in the morning. I would take up to 12 Aleve a day just to
get through. I was only 25. Overtime my hands became incredibly deformed. The
joints turned and curled, I became embarrassed I had ignored the problem and
not taken care of myself.
Once I accepted my diagnosis and
adopted a treatment plan that helped manage the pain and joint deterioration
the emotional scarring began to heal. I began to see my diagnosis as a gift. I
was given this because I could handle it. That is when I began to wonder how I
could help others.
What are your
favorite tips and tricks for managing everyday tasks?
There are many things people who see
my hands are surprised I can do. I type, sew, bake, cook, make furniture, and
of course create jewelry! I guess my only tip for managing tasks is if you
really want to do it you will figure out a way. It may not be the way everyone
else does, but you will still get to the same destination.
There are only two things I can’t do
and that’s snap my fingers and high five, but I can always clap my hands and
fist bump so everything is right in the world.
How do you manage to
keep facing forward every day?
Doing the things I love keeps me
facing forward each day. I love to create! Once I realized I could still do the
things I loved, that those “limitations” others had put on me or that I had put
on myself did not actually exist, it opened life back up. I knew then the only
boundaries on my abilities and happiness was my own attitude, I decided to
never approach anything again with “I can’t” but rather “How can I?”
If you could go back
to diagnosis day and tell your past self one thing, what would it be?
Well first I would probably tell
myself to stop being such a baby and accept a treatment plan, LOL.
Besides that I would let myself know
that everything will be ok.
That with great struggle comes great
reward. That the strength this disease will condition you for is enough to do
and achieve anything you could ever want.
Every time you feel you are weak, every
hurdle you have to overcome, every obstacle to your daily success is actually
strength, tenacity, and endurance growing and building in your body and mind.
You control your own life; you’re the
boss of you! Go Get It!
Do you have a blog
you would like to share?
Would you like to be featured on Facing Forward? If
so, please send an email to mariah@fromthispointforward.com.
