Last year I reached my tenth year with “Old Arthur.” I joked with my rheumy that I deserved a cake with candles.

Having RA enter my life is not a choice that I was able to make…but once it became a part of my life, how I respond to this painful and chronic illness is within my control. So I choose to continue to make the most of my life with RA, and to be as positive as I can be.

As many of us have written, embracing and accepting this illness can force us to become better individuals in many ways. I think it is this aspect that we celebrate, and not the pain, emotional roller coaster rides, loss of joint use, etc.

I don’t think anyone has ever said that living with RA is easy, but if we all continue to share our personal struggles, we can indeed help each other to live a little better with RA.

RA has pretty much ruined my life. I can’t quit my job or work from home, so I spend my days at work in pain and my sacrifices come in my personal life- my social life has dwindled, and the pain in my hands keeps me from doing most of the hobbies I’ve had my entire adult life. I can remember the exact day and moment I was diagnosed the same way I remember horrible tragedies. I wish I could forget.

Maybe some day I’ll reach a point where I can celebrate being forced to make life choices that go against every fiber of my type-A ambitious personality, but for now it’s just gonna make me angry.