In July 2010, I was diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis. It’s crazy to think about everything the past 5 years has held. When I was diagnosed, I thought that I was close to relief. That’s true for many people, but for me it was just the beginning. I’ve already shared my story, so today I thought that I would look at my years of pain in numbers.
My Arthritis By the Numbers
FIFTY-EIGHT: The number of joints that were affected by arthritis when I was diagnosed.
FIFTY-FOUR: The lowest number of my joints that have been affected.
THIRTY-SOMETHING: The number of medical professionals I’ve seen.
FOURTEEN: The years since the pain started.
TWENTY-FIVE: The number of pills I take a day.
TWENTY: How long, in minutes, it took for my rheumatologist to diagnose me.
NINETEEN: The age I was when I was diagnosed.
TEN: The age I was when I started being in pain daily and the number of scars I have from surgeries.
NINE: How many years it took to be diagnosed with arthritis.
SIX: The number of arthritis treatments I’ve been on in the past five years.
FIVE: The years since I was diagnosed, the number of surgeries I’ve had, and the number of rheumatologists that I’ve seen in my lifetime.
FOUR: How long (in inches) the screw was in my ankle when it was fused, how many months are in between my infusions, and how many joints have been permanently damaged because I wasn’t diagnosed sooner.
THREE: The types of arthritis my doctor has thought I’ve had.
TWO: The types of chemotherapy I’ve been on and the surgeries I could have avoided if I was diagnosed sooner.
ONE: The number of screws I have in my ankle now, the number of rheumatoid arthritis treatments that have worked for me, and the number of rheumatologists who listened to me.
Learn More about Arthritis:
Arthritis National Research Foundation | Arthritis Foundation | Arthritis FAQ
Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.
oh gosh! Thank you so much for sharing! I’m in daily pain too and it hasn’t been diagnosed why (we think it’s just from previous injuries that didn’t heal correctly). It’s nice to know you aren’t alone though.
HCBN love,
xx, Lindsey
http://www.lmartthoughts.com
You’re so welcome! Not feeling alone is a huge relief, of course. Have you ever seen a rheumatologist, by the way? It can’t hurt to get checked out, especially because early diagnosis can prevent it from getting too awful.
so brave of you to post this xx, kenz
http://sincerelykenz.com
Thank you!
Thank you! I’m more than happy to share it, especially because I know what it feels like to be in pain and to feel like no one else understands what you’re going through.
You have an inspiring story! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you!
One thing I caught here, like with so many illnesses, is how crucial it is to get help early on! I think that’s mainly on the doctors’ shoulders (trying not to point any fingers here but hey), but some people might not like to go to the doctor, some might just brush off symptoms, you never know. There’s various reasons people might not seek treatment first thing. So I think that’s why it’s so important to push others to really be persistent if they think something is up with their bodies. Thanks for writing this!
Yes! Listen to your body and don’t stop pushing until you have an answer. If the idea of seronegative rheumatoid arthritis had been more widespread when I was in high school, I definitely would have been diagnosed sooner.