When most kids were worrying about middle school drama, I was learning how to live with rheumatoid arthritis. I was only 11 when I was diagnosed, and at the time, I didn’t really understand what it meant for my body or my future. All I knew was that my joints ached in ways kids aren’t supposed to feel, and mornings often started with stiffness instead of ease. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that RA is not just about sore joints. It’s an autoimmune condition, which means my own immune system mistakes my joint tissue for an invader. The thin lining around the joints, called the synovium, becomes flooded with inflammation, creating destructive tissue that slowly wears away cartilage and bone. That’s why it doesn’t just hurt, it actually changes the way joints work. The culprit is my own immune cells, which send out chemical signals that keep my body stuck in attack mode even when there’s nothing to fight.
The hardest part isn’t always the pain; sometimes it’s the fatigue. The inflammation doesn’t stop at the joints; it spreads through the whole body, affecting energy levels, blood vessels, and even organs. Some days it feels like my body is fighting a battle I didn’t sign up for. But living with RA has also shaped me in unexpected ways. Instead of letting it define me, I leaned into sports, specifically cross country. Movement became my way of pushing back, showing myself that I could still be strong even with an illness that tries to slow me down. I learned that running helped with the pain as well as reducing the swelling. As I grew older, my curiosity about what was happening inside my body evolved into something more, a passion for pharmacy and physiology. I don’t just want to live with RA; I want to understand it, and maybe one day help others find better treatments or even a cure.
RA has been with me since childhood, shaping the way I see my body, my goals, and my future. It has tested me, but it has also given me resilience and direction. It gave me a mission to use science and medicine not only to manage my own condition, but also to improve the lives of others who wake up each day to the same fight.
sources:
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Rheumatoid Arthritis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments. https://www.niams.nih.gov
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Firestein, G. S., & McInnes, I. B. (2017). Immunopathogenesis of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Immunity, 46(2), 183–196.
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Mayo Clinic. Rheumatoid Arthritis. https://www.mayoclinic.org
Wow, this was really powerful to read. I didn’t realize how much rheumatoid arthritis can affect the whole body, not just the joints. I think it’s amazing that you found running to help with both pain and swelling that shows so much strength. I also like how you turned a hard diagnosis into motivation to study science and help others. <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story, Valeria. I truly enjoy your reading it. I imagined it must be so painful having to battle RA at a young age. I am so glad that you were able to see strength and support in sport and that it helps you ease the pain and swelling for a little bit. I personally admire the last paragraph very much, and I believe that you are going to achieve great things. Keep up the positive spirit and mindset!!
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