My Story with Rheumatoid Arthritis

"Pain is always new to the sufferer, but loses its originality for those around him.  Everyone will get used to it except me". - Alphonse Daudet

In 1995 I was officially diagnosed with severe rheumatoid arthritis, the chronic autoimmune disease that effects .05 to 1.0 percent of the US population of which 80% are women.  

How severe is my disease? My tests, RA Factor and anti CCP which measure the presence and aggressiveness of RA measured a whopping 197 and 149!!  A normal test score is 10 and under for the RA Factor, and 20 and under for the anti CCP.  

One myth that I NEED to dispel is that this disease is arthritis.  It is not!!!! Arthritis is only a small part of it!  RA is an chronic Autoimmune disease of which there is no cure that effects the whole body including your organs, eyes, skin, joints, and blood vessels along with causing chronic RA fatigue which feels like a boulder is on your shoulders weighing you down, limiting how much energy you have during your day.  

I have been enduring such pain and fatigue daily since my diagnosis many, many years ago in 1995.  My case was so severe that my rheumatologist put me immediately on an aggressive biologic infusion therapy program to help slow down my illness.  Five years later and 6 different biologics administered, these years of my life have been a rollercoaster of pain,  setbacks, and more. 

One of my dreams is to help others with RA,  as we are often maligned, dismissed, face constant negativity, extreme judgement, assumptions, invalidation and more.  On the outside many times we look fine, but we have learned to manage our pain, to keep our suffering silent, to live with intense pain which has become our normality. 

In fact, if you look at all of the pictures posted on this site, I was in tremendous pain and inflammation while enduring RA fatigue.  I've learned to hide my illness well like most of us with RA have learned and have needed to do.  This is why it is called the invisible illness, because you can't see pain, but you can feel what is happening inside of your body twenty four seven. 

Rey Ybarra