My RAD Life

There’s something about having a relatively unknown and widely misunderstood disease that is very lonely. It’s not that I don’t have supportive people in my life, I do. I count myself blessed to have caring friends and family, a talented team including my rheumatologist, naturopath and therapist, yoga instructors and personal trainers. I am a lucky girl.

But here’s what I don’t have: anyone in my life who has RA or truly understands what I’m going through.

In an effort to not feel quite so alone in this, I have a strong desire to connect with people like myself. People struggling with, living with, and surviving RA.

The strange thing is, I’ve reached out to people with RA in my city. A fellow patient of my rheumatologist who told the doc that she was willing and eager to talk to me (she has not returned my calls), a high school friend of one of my close girlfriends who’s had RA since she was in high school (despite accepting my friendship on Facebook, she’s not responded to any of my RA-related messages), and a woman my age who worked with my sister and was full of advice and thoughts and support (to my sister that is, she has not returned my emails). What is it about RA that makes people shut up and shut down?

I’ve been so befuddled by these ignored calls, messages and emails. Don’t other people with RA want to connect with other sufferers, share stories and support one another? Am I really the only one who yearns for this?

This is the void that blogging fills for me. Yes, I likely won’t meet any of you in person, but reading your blogs and shared stories and getting your comments is a true blessing. It assures me that I’m not alone in this.

So for that, whoever is reading this, thank you from a RAD blogger.