What's happening to my body?

Imagine stubbing your toe, spraining your ankle or a door slamming your fingers by mistake. Now imagine feeling this kind of pain in your wrists, elbows, knees and ankles, every morning or throughout your day…

It gradually started with my feet when I was in university. We would walk back to the hall from lectures to explore the campus and I would have this biting feet ache I thought was normal on returning. Then I experienced knee pain, in both knees, when I stood up from sitting long in the cold library. This caught my attention because I knew my grandma occasionally had knee pain from ageing but I was a young active girl.

What was happening?

Before this, I was an active member of the dance ministry. After one major event, I woke up with a cold that I was certain I would recover from in a day or two. Eventually, I had to go home to see the doctor because I was not getting better - I could barely get out of bed. It turned out that I was anaemic and after talking about the pains in my feet and knees, I was encouraged to drink more water and to move more for my knees. I seemed to have lost quite a lot of weight too and I was encouraged to eat more greens. I missed school for about a week and some while I recovered.

My Fit Girl journey began that year and by 2017, I was almost sure I would get thicker *giggle* and I also did not want to quit dancing. Between then and 2019, I was still treated for anaemia while the knee pain got constant and eventually my elbows and shoulders would greet me in the morning with the worst pain. At this point, I thought my sleeping posture was the culprit so I got more pillows.

They ran all the necessary tests at my next review and I did not forget to talk about the pains in my joints and how they occurred symmetrically. It was revealed that there was an arthritis condition that presented similar symptoms I was experiencing. I had never heard about this condition in young people so it was quite shocking to me that someone my age could have such symptoms. We got additional tests done for that, which later came out negative.

Sigh…

I began my 2020 fulfilling my gym girlie goals. New year, new me! Then, COVID happened (not to me, but in my country).

I continued working out at home but I was still experiencing pain and at my next review, I explained the pains once again and this time the doctor told me about rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Though I was presenting the symptoms, my tests did not seem to confirm his suspicions. It was such a lonely experience and it had an emotional and mental toll on me at that point. My workout routine also had to take a backseat because I could not move without enduring discomfort and pain.

Subsequent tests did not result in a definite diagnosis but I was later given this new prescription which was quite helpful. The struggle of hoping my tests came out normal and at the same time wanting a name to explain what was happening to my body was real!

Fortunately, I got referred to a rheumatologist who has provided the support and assurance that I need. As we try different treatments and find the definite cause of the chronic pains, I am beginning to come to terms with the fact that this might be a part of my life.

I understand living with arthralgia (chronic joint pain) might feel hopeless sometimes but I am determined to live my best regardless while working towards healing. Fighting!

Thank you for reading x

SaFe 😉