I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in January of 2007.  It hit quickly and over the first year took away so much of my life.  I had a very difficult time dealing with this disease and what it was doing to my body.  I had always been a very active and independent woman, and I was quickly losing all of that, and didn't know how to deal with it.  I became angry...I felt I had lost 'me' and become a 'disease'.

I was newly married to a wonderful man who tried to help in every way he could.  But, as someone who had never needed help, I was not able to handle it.  I felt as though he looked at me with pity, and that was not what I wanted.  I also began to feel that he didn't deserve to be 'stuck' with someone like me.  It tore us apart, and that tore me apart even more.

In one year, this RA monster had taken away my mobility, my ability to work, my ability to do a lot of things, and had taken the man I loved.

I have spent a lot of the last few months reflecting on my life and how RA has changed it.  I finally came to the realization that I am still me...I just have a disease.  One that I can no longer let define who I am.  And it was in that realization that I decided to create Tender Joints.  I wanted a place where others with RA could come for support, information, and understanding.  Because let's face it...unless you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, you can't begin to understand what it is like.  No matter how much family and friends you have around you...supporting you...they just don't always understand.

The 2007 Holiday season brought many changes to my life.  On the medical side, the RA has progressed to almost every joint, I was hospitalized with heart problems (and we are still trying to determine if they are RA related), and am now using forearm crutches to assist in walking.  The fatigue and 'brain fog' are still bad, but I am learning to work around it all.  My Rheumy and I are still working to find the right med combo, and I am praying 2008 will bring good things.  On a more personal and important note, the holidays also brought my ex back into my life, and we are working on us.  If anything, this last year with RA has taught me what is really important, and that is my family (my wonderful husband and 3 kids) and friends.  They are who make me who I am...not RA!  I may not be able to do all the things I used to, but I can still love, I can still care, and I can still spend time with those that mean the most to me.  RA has changed my life in a lot of ways, but it has made one important change.  It has made me stop and realize that life is a gift...that friends and family are precious gifts, and it is important to me to treasure all the special times I have with them.

And this is where Tender Joints comes into the picture.  If, with this site, I can help just one person get through a new diagnosis with RA or a 'bad flare', then it will have succeeded in what it was meant to do.

If I had found a support site when I was first diagnosed and struggling to deal with everything, I think it would have helped...and the goal of Tender Joints is to be that help!

So, I would like to welcome you to the Tender Joints Community...kick off your shoes and get comfy...we are here for you!