Welcome to The Rheuma Mill!

Hello out there and welcome to my Rheumatoid Arthritis blog!

The Rheuma Mill is designed for all those of the rheumatoid arthritis community. That includes anyone who has a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis or are connected to rheumatoid arthritis through someone you know and/or care about. This forum is a place where all of us can meet, compare, vent or offer advice. It’s been a place where people have come to discuss symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis medication and treatments that have worked and just how to cope with rheumatoid arthritis in daily life. You can join our discussions in The Rheuma Room here.

Gosh, if you had told me 2 years ago that I would be starting my own blog, I would’ve thought ‘ppffttt, got no time for THAT!’. If you had told me I would write a blog on rheumatoid arthritis, I would KNOW that you need to go to Spec Savers cos you talkin’ to the wrong person. But here I am, starting my first blog… not about food, not about travel, not about fitness but about Rheumatoid Arthritis. Who would’ve thought? When they say ‘you never know where life leads you’ well, no kidding because I would never have thought that I would be here writing a blog about arthritis. About MY personal experience with rheumatoid arthritis.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

It’s my worst nightmare is what it is! It’s something I thought only affected old people. Like old, old. Like 1 foot in the grave, you don’t use your joints much at that age, old. Not 38 years old, old. It’s an affliction that changes your life as you know it. It makes you not recognise your own body, your own strong, healthy active body. Clinically, it’s an autoimmune disease that affects your joints. The joints it affects differs from person to person but in my case, it’s ALL my joints. Luck me right?!

Why blog about it?

Because I needed (still need) a way to process the grief. Grief? What died? My life felt like it had died, my body felt like it had died, my happiness, my confidence, my sleep… everything in me felt like it died. At 38, it’s not a common thing amongst my peers, my colleagues or even my family. I had no-one to talk to about it who could understand what I was going through and what I was going through honestly felt like hell. This is my way to talk about it, hopefully with others, about what it’s like to live with this disease.

Have you seen those zombie movies where just about the whole world population has been eradicated by a virus or plague? Think Will Smith – I am legend.  In those movies there is usually a survivor on a radio trying to make contact with other survivors. ‘Hello, is anyone out there? I too am a survivor. I have food, shelter, medication and weapons. If you’re out there, please respond. You are not alone. Together we can find the cure.’

Well, this is my attempt at being Will Smith minus the food, shelter, medication and weapons. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a friend for people like you. If you don’t need help now that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you do, I will look for you, I will find you and I will HELP YOU. Gosh… sounds like something out of a Liam Neeson movie…..

What you can do!

Be a Will Smith and help others with your Rheumas! It WILL make you feel better. Contribute to The Rheuma Mill by sharing your story in the Rheuma Room or join our Facebook community. Feeling shy? CONTACT me privately. I’d love to hear from you.