[Walk A Mile In Our Shoes] Knotty Notes

[![][1]][2]**Knotty Notes**

_One of our members invites you to walk a mile in her shoes:
_

**Q: ** Current Age?
**A:** 41

**Q:** Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
**A:** Early to mid-30s—Symptoms I experienced were attributed to other things early on, but once diagnosed it all came together.

**Q: ** Age of Diagnosis?
**A:** 39

**Q:** Where are you located?
**A:** Marshall, Illinois

**Q:** What is your profession?
**A:** Human Resource Coordinator

**Q:** What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
**A:** Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Insulin Resistant Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), Asthma, Depression, Anxiety, GERD, Lichen Sclerosis, Osteoarthritis, Secondary Sojourns Syndrome, Diabetes Type II, and High Blood Pressure.

**Q:** What are your hobbies?
**A:** Love spending time with my daughters plus reading, writing, Facebook, and movies.

**Q:** What is one thing your doctor didn't tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
**A:** I've been very fortunate, my doctor prepared me very well for what was ahead of me.

**Q:** If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
**A:** Don't be so hard on yourself, there is a reason you are feeling so bad, soon it will all make sense.

**Q:** What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
**A:** It you don't have a lot of patience, you need to beg, borrow or steal some! The road of treatment is long, bumpy, and full of trial and error. So far I have been allergic to three medications, one had zero effect, one made my liver enzymes too high, one made my vision blurry, and I am currently on medication number seven and it is too early to know if it will work or not.

**Q: ** How would you describe your personal style?
**A: ** I go for comfort mostly; I'm definitely not a fashionista. I wear a lot of skirts and sandals.

**Q: ** What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
**A: ** Learning to accept my diagnosis as a chronic illness and not be embarrassed by my limitations.

**Q: ** Favorite quote?
**A:** I have a couple that I love. One is "Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option", and "If you can't change the people around you then CHANGE the people around you". Unfortunately, I do not know who to attribute the quotes to, but they are two that come to my mind often.

**Q: ** What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
**A:** I was born deaf in my left ear. Spinach is my favorite vegetable. I used to lay carpet as a part-time job.

Thank you for taking a walk in my shoes!

_**[Check here to see all the blogs in this series.][3]**_

_If you would like to be a featured blog entry for Walk A Mile In Our Shoes, please email me at ra.chicks@yahoo.com. I will need a picture attachment of the footwear you are wearing and your answers to the items listed above in story. They will be anonymous, no names given, just your information and responses._

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