Joseph

Name: Joseph
Location: New York, NY/Mumbai, India by way of San Diego, CA and Dallas, TX
Age: 25
Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 8

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How has your condition impacted you?  RA and Heart Disease have impacted my life tremendously. At a very young age, I had to learn to deal and live with my conditions. This made my childhood very difficult. I was unable to grow up the normal way healthy kids do. I would dream of being as strong as my athletic twin brother and living a disease-free life. I found yoga and decided to follow my dreams of a disease free lifestyle. Since then, my life has changed and any pain I feel in my body only fuels my desire to transcend the limitations within myself - mentally, physically, and emotionally.

What would you like for other people to know about your condition?  I was diagnosed with JRA when I was 8. I had many complications from the physical stress and from taking all the medications. Between the age of 11 and 13, I had major knee surgery, suffered from migraine headaches and had stomach ulcers. At the age of 13, I had a heart attack. I found yoga when I was 19 and have been been in remission for the past 6 years of my life.

What would you like to tell someone who was recently diagnosed with your condition?  Not to settle for the cards you have been dealt.  If you do not learn to have joy in life and accept your condition(s), then you might as well live in a box. We are given our condition to learn from it and to become stronger and wiser about the way we live our lives. All conditions can be controlled, if not reversed, through our own minds. It's our willingness to change and not live under the shadow of our disease that gives us joy in life.

Here is the first quote that popped into my head after I wrote this. It's from my teacher, Bikram Choudhury - "Having doesn't mean anything if you don't know how to use it."
I like this quote because it reminds that my conditions were a gift. A gift which taught me that anything in great life is worth suffering for. :)


Thank you so much Joseph!  Your smile and positive attitude are contagious!!
Be sure to check out more of Joseph's amazing success with Bikram Yoga here.

Melissa

Melissa
New York City
Age 21
Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 16

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How has your condition impacted you?  My condition has been a challenge since the day I woke up with stiffness, pain and swelling in my feet.
As the days were passing by, I was frequently going to the ER as it was affecting different joints of my body and I had no explanation why I was going through so much pain. I felt tied down, but with pain, and I couldn't do anything . . . just wait. The pain was so intense that there were no words to describe it.  My family was very understanding, they never left my side.  After 5 months of pain and struggling I was diagnosed with JRA.  I felt relieved, but I was in denial.  I didn't respond well to the medication after the first year, and it was devastating.  At first, nobody understood me and it was frustrating because people don't know that kids get arthritis too. There were days that I couldn't get up from bed and times that I wanted to give up.  Endless nights of crying without sleep . . . I asked God why he put me through so much pain.  Now I know because I'm strong and I can cope with any situation no matter how difficult it is.  It changed my life in positive ways.  I became stronger and a more patient person than I was before JRA.

What would you like for other people to know about JRA?  Be considerate and understanding because you have no idea what type of pain we go through. Dealing with this condition is unpredictable; there are ups and downs.  When I tell people about my condition they always tell me "Oh, but there's a cure for that," or, "You're too young to have that."  JRA is an autoimmune disease; it has no cure and it can happen to anybody. Do research so you can understand the disease.  If one day you see me crying because I am in pain, just help me.  It will show me how much you care and understand.

What would you tell someone who is newly diagnosed with RA?  Never give up and don't let this condition get the best of you. There will be days that you will feel grief, but always stay positive. At times will you become isolated and depressed.  Keep in mind there will be better days and that you will appreciate the good and bad days. What other people take for granted we don't . . . the simple things like walking, dressing yourself, getting up from bed, etc. You will become stronger, patient and appreciate the smallest things. It might sound crazy, but battling with a pain against your own will makes you special and stronger than the pain. Never lose hope and maintain strength at all times; having a family and friends that cares helps a lot.

Thank you so much Melissa!

Michelle

Michelle
Mishawaka, IN
Diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 15


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How has your condition impacted you?  I was 15 to 16 years old when I found out I have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.  At first, I didn't know what to think, how to feel, or what to do.  I didn't feel "sick" so it was confusing to me.  I went to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis for the pain, stiffness, and swelling I had in my left knee and in my right pointer finger.  Slowly, through the years, it started to affect me in different joints.  There were so many days I would just sit and cry.  There was nothing I could do but cry.  I felt very alone.  I lost two jobs because of my disease, I lost friends, and I lost my teen years.  Sometimes, I still wonder how I got out of bed each day.  However, now that I am responding well to medication, I spend most of my time symptom free.  It's been a long road to get me here, but I know it's not over.  I just thank my family for being here and for a husband who doesn't get it all, but tries so very hard to.  I do believe this has made me a stronger person and more compassionate towards others.

What would you like for other people to know about RA?  Just because you don't look sick or act sick every day doesn't mean that you are healthy.  I want everyone to know that.  Be compassionate towards others because you never know what they are battling.


What would you want to tell someone who is newly diagnosed with RA?  I want them to know that it's you and RA.  It's only the two of you.  It's best to just accept it.  It's hard not to think, "Why me?", but it's best to remember that things could always be much worse.  You are the only one who can make yourself feel better.  You'll be just fine . . . even on days when it doesn't feel like it.  There will be days that you struggle.  You will feel helpless at times.  You will experience a period of grief.  However, there is a world of people out there who understand the pain.  It's best to have a great doctor with great nurses.  Also, family and friends will pull you through anything.  It's best to be patient, say your prayers, and realize that you are not alone!

Extra thanks to Michelle for meeting me on a very cold day in December for this photo shoot and then patiently waiting for the July/August issue of Arthritis Today magazine to come out before seeing her portrait on this site.  Thank you Michelle!