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Rheumatoids at 20

Posted , 9 users are following.

geea33618
geea33618

Hi guys,

I've been diagnosed with Rheumatoids and I'm 20. I'm super worried about how it's going to affect my life; Anyone else who's been diagnosed from a young age?

My mum is a health care professional and she cried when I told her ??

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • ivan17274
    ivan17274 geea33618

    Posted

    hi geea

    your mum has had double whammy. 1) she's a mum who's seeing someone she loves hurting which is no fun for her at all.shes upset.bound to be.

    2) she's a nurse. which ties in with 1).if you get my drift.

    I was 29 when it hit me. devastated. world at my feet. loaded with money prime of life. women falling at my feet. ok so they were drunk. point is I had none of above. but I had mum. and she had me. remember that. hope that helps. ivan.

    • Light
      Light ivan17274

      Posted

      Ha ha. Ivan, you actually made me laugh! Thanks.

      Actually you make a good point....

      The good thing about getting it young is that you have a mum to help pull you through.

      I got it at 60 with just a (loving) goddaughter to see me through the bad bits, so in that way, you're not so badly off.

      It's always worse at the beginning, Geea, however old you are, and Esther is right, the treatment is so much better now than 20 years ago... You'll find with enough patience, you'll be living an almost normal 20-year-old's life.

      Remember always to love yourself and treat yourself well, as if you are your own baby, to be nurtured and cared for and never blamed for some of the limitations it puts on you.

      If you find your friends don't understand why you can't participate in things, don't get upset with them. It's hard to understand other people's pain. So just calmy explain to them.

      As long as you don't go around down at the mouth and self-pitying, no one's ever going to give you a bad time as you work your way through the hard bits.

      Have courage and take care!

    • ivan17274
      ivan17274 Light

      Posted

      hi light

      (sounds like a football repeat doesn't it).

      glad cheered someone up. ok I missed out on some things. I blame it on not having toys at Xmas. I'm now 55. and still no toys last year. but they promised this year's different...

      have to see. nice speak.take care. ivan.

  • ebonyrose1996
    ebonyrose1996 geea33618

    Posted

    Hi there, dont have much information only that the pain sucks!!! Just wanted to reply so you new u wernt alone. I was diagnoised a few months ago at 19.

    Take care

  • esther77657
    esther77657 geea33618

    Posted

    Sorry to hear this.  I was diagnosed at 20. I am now 48. Treatment was not as good when I was diagnosed; you stand every chance of it being really well controlled and you should avoid all the joint deformity.  It is a nasty disease; there is no debating that.  However, I have lived a reasonably normal life. I do think that when you are diagnosed young you adapt really well. Now that I am older and people express sympathy, I always feel that I have had it for so long that I hardly know life without it. I wish you all the best with getting effective treatment and getting it managed. 
  • Emily1234
    Emily1234 geea33618

    Posted

    I'm 32, in a similar position....what are your symptoms? Have you had blood work done to confirm?

  • peridotmoon
    peridotmoon geea33618

    Posted

    Hi geea,

    First of all - Big hugs and I'm so sorry to hear that you've been diagnosed. I totally understand what you're going through.

    I was diagnosed when I was 24 just before Christmas, I'm 29 next month. It sucks, I'm not gonna lie - BUT, there are amazing medications out there which can help, it may be trial and error. Your life isn't over. I try and live as normal a life as I can. If you passed me in the street you wouldn't think I even had an illness. 

    If I could give any advice, make sure you always take your meds and communicate with your rheumy.  I was so scared and angry when I got diagnosed, I didn't want to take pills for the rest of my life, but now it's second nature and it's a small price for a chance of a normal life still. It will be okay... You'll have good and bad days/times.  Follow your doctors advice. 

  • sia34716
    sia34716 geea33618

    Posted

    I was diagonised few moths ago . I just turned 41. Was devastated . But found All of you who encouraged me and showed me that I'm not alone . It's a nasty disease I have pain everyday but don't give up . Keep faith . I feel we are live a family here .

  • timothy11402
    timothy11402 geea33618

    Posted

    I have had RA for 14 years and in that time have adjusted well, and you have every reason to suspect the same will happen for you. My doctor predicts a long life for me since I take good care of myself because of the RA. But in the beginning, it takes time to regulate the disease and the meds. Be positive.......it really helps.
  • ivan17274
    ivan17274 geea33618

    Posted

    hi again geea.

    how are you. have you read your posts?they're your posts. no one else's.

    hope they put ra in perspective.

    you have a choice. read posts. enjoy them at your leisure. or do nothing. no pressure. but now you know they're people same as you. happy on a good day.miserable on a bad day. totally impossible for no godly reason other days.

    everyone different, at the same time everyone the same. all with one thing in common. the word US! thats who we are. US. hope you understand. if not now you will. see it as a 1st chapter of a new book. YOUR BOOK. take care. ivan.

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