The Beginning: Iritis – HLA-B27 Positive – Rheumatoid Arthritis: the Present
I have chronic pain. I remember the beginning. I was in my early twenties living in a dorm
in university. During the night my lower
back would ache and pain. I saw a campus
doctor who gave me no reason for my problem but advised me to use a pillow
under my knees while lying on my back during rest. This didn’t help but fortunately the pain
didn’t last.
My health was quite good throughout the
remainder of my twenties. However, a
different problem occurred in my early thirties. I got what I thought was an eye infection in
my left eye. It was painful, red, and
watery. I saw my family doctor who prescribed drops
for an eye infection. After a few days I
believed things were improving but then the symptoms increased. The pain was so severe that I needed two
Tylenol every four hours and I could feel the moment the medication wore
off. Also, the left eye was very
sensitive to light. I remember attending
a Blue Jays ball game and was in so much pain and discomfort that I had to
leave to go home. That night I awoke
crying in fear because I was in so much pain and to be perfectly honest, I was
terrified. I went to the Emergency at Toronto
Western Hospital where I was prescribed stronger medicated drops for my
eye. Once again it appeared to help
initially, but yet another even more serious symptom arose. My vision was now blurred and I could not see
properly. I returned to the Emergency at
Toronto Western Hospital and this time the doctor gave me a referral to return
first thing in the morning to see the doctors at the Eye Clinic in the
hospital. It was this Eye Clinic at
Toronto Western Hospital that diagnosed and remedied my eye problem, which
turned out to be iritis, and the many other recurring cases I had in each eye
in the several years to follow.
Iritis is inflammation of the iris in your
eye. It is quite serious and if left
untreated it can lead to blindness. By
the time I had reached the specialists at the Eye Clinic my case of iritis was
severe. In fact, the doctor was unsure
whether I would regain full sight in my left eye. In order to ease the pain and begin the
healing process, the doctor fully absorbed medicated drops on a cotton swab and
inserted it in my eye. I was prescribed
two types of drops, a pupil dilator and a steroid as well as an ointment to use
at night. My pupil had to be dilated
throughout the day and for the beginning of my treatment I needed to insert the
steroid drops every 30 minutes. As the
iritis improved I was prescribed the steroid drops less frequently throughout
the day until it was completely gone. I
have permanent scaring in my left eye, but I did regain full sight.
Over the course of approximately 2-4 years
I had iritis in each eye multiple times.
Because of its chronic nature, the doctors at the Eye Clinic had my
blood tested for HLA-B27 (Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) B27 (subtypes B*2701-2759)). As explained by Wikipedia, “HLA-B27 is strongly
associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and other associated inflammatory diseases
referred to as "spondyloarthropathies". Diseases associated with the HLA-B27 subtype
can be remembered with the mnemonic PAIR, and include Psoriasis, Ankylosing spondylitis, Inflammatory bowel disease, and Reactive arthritis.” It was after receiving the results that I was HLA-B27 positive that the doctors at the clinic referred me to the Rheumatology Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital. Thankfully and for no apparent reason, my recurrences of iritis ended. However, it was shortly thereafter that I was faced with new problems that would only increase as I got older, rheumatoid arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the joints causing redness, warmth, soreness and stiffness (healthline.com). I was diagnosed with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Uptodate.com explains, "Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a potentially disabling inflammatory arthritis of the spine, usually presenting as chronic back pain, typically before the age of 45. It is often associated with one or more of several articular features, including synovitis, enthesitis, and dactylitis. It may also be associated with several non-articular features; these include uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Patients frequently carry the gene for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27..."
Many people suffer from arthritis and there are different forms and various treatments. I presume that a layperson thinks of arthritis similar to a headache - an occasional pain in or around the same area that you simply take a couple of Tylenol or Advil to cure. That's what I used to think, at least. I have learned that it is so much more than a periodical pain and sometimes there is no cure, you just suffer through it.
Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has many challenges. The worst come in flares. A flare-up is when you are struck by severe pain that may take days to pass. However, there are daily challenges outside of flares. My biggest battle is getting through each night. That lower back pain that troubled me in my twenties is now a chronic and sometimes emotionally debilitating problem. Thankfully, my days are fairly good because I am an active person. Being active is a proactive way to cope with RA. Yet every night I suffer with terrible dull aches and pains in my lower back, hips, sometimes shoulders, and occasionally my neck. I take prescribed medications and over-the-counter ointments each night with the hopes of getting a fitful rest. I often awake feeling stiff and sore and it takes quite some time of movement to feel "normal" again. The bad nights are so awful that I will max out on all the medications that I can safely take and still will not sleep. On these mornings, especially before going to work, I am a physical and emotional wreck. You are supposed to wake up after a night's rest and feel refreshed. I will feel as though I were in a car accident or beaten all night long. My job is stressful and without sleep I will wonder how I will make it through the day. A simple problem like dropping a dish towel will balloon into a disaster because I'll be so tired and sore that I will not want to bend my sore body to pick it up. These mornings are the worst - filled with tears and sorrow. These mornings make me feel like I've lost my spirit.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the joints causing redness, warmth, soreness and stiffness (healthline.com). I was diagnosed with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis. Uptodate.com explains, "Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a potentially disabling inflammatory arthritis of the spine, usually presenting as chronic back pain, typically before the age of 45. It is often associated with one or more of several articular features, including synovitis, enthesitis, and dactylitis. It may also be associated with several non-articular features; these include uveitis, psoriasis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Patients frequently carry the gene for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27..."
Many people suffer from arthritis and there are different forms and various treatments. I presume that a layperson thinks of arthritis similar to a headache - an occasional pain in or around the same area that you simply take a couple of Tylenol or Advil to cure. That's what I used to think, at least. I have learned that it is so much more than a periodical pain and sometimes there is no cure, you just suffer through it.
Living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has many challenges. The worst come in flares. A flare-up is when you are struck by severe pain that may take days to pass. However, there are daily challenges outside of flares. My biggest battle is getting through each night. That lower back pain that troubled me in my twenties is now a chronic and sometimes emotionally debilitating problem. Thankfully, my days are fairly good because I am an active person. Being active is a proactive way to cope with RA. Yet every night I suffer with terrible dull aches and pains in my lower back, hips, sometimes shoulders, and occasionally my neck. I take prescribed medications and over-the-counter ointments each night with the hopes of getting a fitful rest. I often awake feeling stiff and sore and it takes quite some time of movement to feel "normal" again. The bad nights are so awful that I will max out on all the medications that I can safely take and still will not sleep. On these mornings, especially before going to work, I am a physical and emotional wreck. You are supposed to wake up after a night's rest and feel refreshed. I will feel as though I were in a car accident or beaten all night long. My job is stressful and without sleep I will wonder how I will make it through the day. A simple problem like dropping a dish towel will balloon into a disaster because I'll be so tired and sore that I will not want to bend my sore body to pick it up. These mornings are the worst - filled with tears and sorrow. These mornings make me feel like I've lost my spirit.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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