I'm Annie, recently turned 36 years and am a Certified Professional Groomer. I haven't been diagnosed with RA, but I'm fairly certain that's what I have due to my symptoms. All my life I've been sickly. I'm a teen cancer survivor of Hodgkin's Disease. I've dealt with migraines, widespread pain, fatigue and many more health issues over the years. I've seen lots of doctors, taken tons of tests and never been given an actual diagnosis. One day I decided to wean myself off all the medications I was prescribed because they, a) weren't very effective and b) how can you prescribe me drugs when you don't really know what's wrong with me? I changed my life... Stopped seeing doctors, quit my stressful office job, went back to dog grooming, changed my diet and started exercising again. My health improved drastically and was great for years.

In the last 12-15 months I've been experiencing what I learned through research is RA symptoms. I've gone through some elevated stress and gained some weight back over the past couple years. I personally believe my body does not respond well to stress and weight gain, and that it's less tolerant as I get older. I currently don't even have medical insurance to see a doctor and get diagnosed. I'm also not very trusting of doctors because I could never get a straight answer out of them before, instead just told to take a bunch of drugs. Through my own research I've decided to just try and help myself again by changing my diet and lifestyle. I've put myself on an anti-inflammatory diet, started taking some supplements, am working on decreasing my stress level and will slowly start to get back into exercise. I know that eventually I need to see a doctor, even if only to monitor my blood work and organ function.

I'm going to give myself a period of time to see how this goes. I can't afford medical insurance right now, and according to Covered CA I make too much for any kind of assistance. It's only been a couple weeks on the new diet and I do notice a difference in my inflammation. And, last week all of a sudden I had energy! This week I'm going to try getting on the treadmill and elliptical. I don't feel ready for weights yet, but soon I hope. I was weight training up until I started getting inflammation in my hands last June. My poor home gym has been collecting dust. Lol

I'm a fairly open person when it comes to my health experiences. I'd be happy to share and would also love to hear how anyone else deals with their conditions.

Hi! I'm Kelly - I was diagnosed with PsA six years ago after struggling with "mystery pain" in my hands and arms for a year. This week is the first time I've logged onto My Fittness Pal in three years, and so much has changed in my PsA journey since. I've been on methotrexate for two years, but I still struggle with finding the right balance of exercise, healthy eating, and general mental well-being. Which is why I am recommitting myself and look forward to chatting with fellow arthritis sufferers. It's a life long journey and we're in it together!

hello, my name is Laura I have been misdiagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, was taking shots for yrs. and not working so I'm on DMARDs, and I am fed up with pain, I also have spinal stenosis, I cant do any real workouts but I sure can control my calories, and maybe one day I can start a regular walking routine. having RA is challenging enough let alone other issues I have but I'm glad I found this group

Hi My name is Susan, I was diagnosed with RA 4 months ago. I was just told to stop taking Methotrexate due to high liver counts. I tried plaquenil but developed extreme back pain and couldn't get out of bed. At this point we are just trying to figure out what meds I can take. I am hoping with diet and exercise my liver will recover, I will lose weight, get more energy and live a healthier life