Identical twins Annamarie and Ginamarie Russo share many qualities: They look and sound alike, they love acting and traveling – and both haverheumatoid arthritis (RA).
在将近20年的时间里，这对34岁的双胞胎姐妹都不享有风湿性关节炎。Ginamarie was diagnosed with juvenile RA (now calledjuvenile idiopathic arthritis) when she was 12; Annamarie was diagnosed 18 years later, at age 30.
Continue readingDouble Take: Twins with RA Fight It Together
We know, it sounds like a crazy question. But some people say they’ve found unexpected reasons to actually be grateful for their diagnosis. Here’s what three bloggers wrote.
Continue readingVoices: Are You Grateful for Your Arthritis?
When Kevin Gadd was born, roughly 51 years ago, an unexpected and unwelcomed guest joined his family.
“My mom was diagnosed withrheumatoid arthritis (RA)in her hands just after I was born,” explained Kevin. “We called it Arthur, like Arthur-itis. We were always mad at Arthur because he brought pain to my mom and made it difficult for her to do the things she loved. Arthur was a bad dude.”
Taking care of yourself is so important, but who hasn’t dealt with theself-care burnoutthat comes with having a chronic condition?
For the first in a new series featuring some of the leading social media voices on life with arthritis, we asked these bloggers about their struggles with self-care.
Traci Martin purchased her first kayak in 1999. She has always had a love for the outdoors and being physically active and enjoyed kayaking for fun. In 2009, not long after she began competitive kayak races, Traci started experiencing symptoms ofrheumatoid arthritis(RA) and was formally diagnosed with RA in 2010. Now, just seven years after her diagnosis, Traci will set off on a journey to kayak 8,600 miles and break the world record for longest solo kayak journey.
Continue readingWoman with Rheumatoid Arthritis to Attempt World Record by Kayaking over 8,000 Miles
Just over two years ago, at the age of 24, Katelynd Park was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). It was a devastating blow. She remembers thinking, how could someone so young and healthy be diagnosed with this debilitating disease? Katelynd has come a long way since her diagnosis. She is preparing to run the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, her first marathon, as part of theArthritis Foundation teamon October 8. She plans on showing others, and herself, that RA will not keep her from living her life.
Continue readingFrom RA to Running a Marathon – Katelynd Park is Committed to Supporting the Fight for a Cure
我拿起电话，听到“嗨，我是塔图姆”，我的视线瞬间变得黑白分明。Hearing that raspy voice, I saw Tatum O’Neal, at 8 years old, as Addie Loggins in the 1973 movie,Paper Moon，这是黑白拍摄的。年轻的塔图姆演好了这个角色，并为自己赢得了奥斯卡奖。
Continue readingTatum O’Neal: On Top of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Feeling Lucky
Life is full of unexpected twists and, oftentimes, people define ourselves by how they react to these unforeseen moments. Bella Sorensen’s life was drastically altered at the age of 13 when she was originally diagnosed withrheumatoid arthritis. Bella, now 17, lives with arthritis, but, like many children and teens with arthritis, their families must live with the disease too.
This is Bella’s story—but it’s also her mother’s story to tell as well.
Dorte Sorensen, recalls a time prior to Bella’s diagnosis, “Four years ago, I would have never imagined I would be here talking about my Bella having this horrible disease in the 8th grade as a 13 year-old.”
Continue readingBella’s Journey: Arthritis Means a Family Must Adjust to the Disease, Too
A love of cycling seems to run in Tom Baltes’ family. Unfortunately, arthritis does, too.
As one of five children, Tom has watched as two of his siblings have been diagnosedrheumatoid arthritis (RA)还有一个做过两次髋关节置换手术。Tom hasosteoarthritis (OA).
“I was first diagnosed with OA in my left knee and lower spine when I retired from the military,” recalls Tom. “I’m a lucky man in that I have not been particularly bothered by arthritis, but my siblings have really struggled with pain. My arthritis is very minimal compared to what they go through.”
Continue readingFrom Coast to Coast: A Birthday Challenge Leads to Awareness, Funds for Arthritis
现在看着她，你永远不会知道，就在几年前，吉尔·科诺普卡(Jill Konopka)为了打开一罐花生酱还在苦苦挣扎。
“Literally, being able to twist open a jar by myself seemed like the biggest accomplishment,” recalls Jill. “I couldn’t even turn the shower head. It was humbling.”
A former Division III college athlete and current local news reporter, Jill was sidelined by arheumatoid arthritis (RA)in her late 20s.
“I was shocked,” says Jill. “Here I was this young, active woman. Then one day I woke up and couldn’t get out of bed.”