My name is Amanda, I am 25 years old, live in North Carolina, and have been living with RA since May 2005. I have a wonderful husband whom I have been married to for 3 years and have been with for almost 9 years. I have two wonderful dogs(otherwise known as my babies!), Buddy a black lab, and Daisy a basset hound. They keep me going all the time, if not for their love I don't know where I would be some days!;)

I got married April 2, 2005 and recieved the diagnosis of RA in May 2005. My symptoms started in my wrists as sharp pains and could not move them and then my knees started swelling to the size of a cantalope and I could not walk. Well my in-laws (bless their hearts) had to take my to the ER and thats when everything went to a whirlwind of doctor appointments and misdiagnosis! I have recieved the diagnosis of carpal tunnel, tendonitis, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Asthma, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Arthritis realted to mold exposure(due to house living in at the time), and finally RA! I probably left some diagnosis out along the way! I finally have a list of diseases that are controlled and hopefully they won't figure out I have any more. Some of the ones I have are Scolosis (34 degree curvature), Asthma, Hypothroidism (hashimotos's), MVP, and last but not least RA!(obviously) I think that is enough! haha LOL

I am trying to live with my disease instead of against it. I have been fighting against it for the last 3 years and that hasn't gotten me very far, so I decided (just recently) that I am going to live with it and try to accept it. I still struggle on some days, but I am going to find the positive in every situation! I had always been a positive person before this disease took over and I let it change me. I got really depressed and didn't want to go on if I had to live each day with chronic pain. I am taking my life back!! I am thankful for each day that I can wake up, and I even play a game in the mornings now. It is 'lets find which body part hurts the worse'! LOL It is always a surprise, different one each day!

I am still working and I am not going to give in to this disease! I get up each morning, whether I want to or not, and face the day with a positive attitude!