[Walk A Mile In Our Shoes] Love My Shoes

[![][1]][2]**LOVE MY SHOES**

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

**Q:** Current Age?
**A:** 34

**Q:** Age of Onset or start of symptoms?
**A: **29

**Q:** Age of Diagnosis?
**A:** 33

**Q:** Where are you located?
**A:** Algonac, Michigan

**Q:** What is your profession?
**A:** Full time mommy, full time IT undergrad student, part time tattoo artist

**Q:** What are your Medical Conditions or diagnoses?
**A:** Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia

**Q: **What are your hobbies?
**A: **Video games (until I took an arrow in the knee… [Skyrim joke haha]), drawing, watching movies with my husband and kiddos, darts, graphic arts

**Q:** What is one thing your doctor didn't tell you about your Autoimmune Arthritis that you wish they had?
**A:** That my life would me so completely changed. I think the thing that affected me the most is that I can't get down on the floor and play cars with my boys. How do I explain to a 2 and 3 year old that mommy hurts too much to play with them? It brings tears to my eyes.

**Q:** If you could tell your past self something before diagnosis, what would it be?
**A:** Go to college sooner, don't wait so long. Going to college with RA sucks.

**Q:** What would you like to tell others newly diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis?
**A:** Don't be afraid to ask for help, and don't be afraid to speak out and educate people about your disease.

**Q:** How would you describe your personal style?
**A:** I am covered in tattoos. I have over 50 tattoos, and my left arm is sleeved out.I am a jeans and T shirt girl. I love old school gaming T shirts and concert Tees.

**Q:** What part of dealing with your Autoimmune Arthritis has made the biggest impact on you?
**A:** Discrimination. It was very hard for me to actually get a doctor to believe I had something wrong with me because I have tattoos. Doctors can be very discriminatory. It took 4 years for me to get a diagnosis because the doctors I saw thought I was a pill seeker. This makes me so sad and angry that people, DOCTORS even, are still this way.

**Q:** Favorite quote?
**A: **"Reaching out to embrace the random, reaching out to embrace whatever may come"- Maynard James Keenan

**Q:** What are three random things about yourself that others may not know?
**A:** My husband and I had a "best woman" and a "man of honor" at our wedding, I can draw a portrait that looks just like it was taken with a camera, and I hate mayo unless it is on a Whopper.

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._

[1]: http://rachicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Love-My-Shoes1-150x150.jpg (Love My Shoes walk a mile in our shoes rheumatoid arthritis personal story)
[2]: http://rachicks.com/walk-a-mile-in-our-shoes-love-my-shoes/love-my-shoes-2/
[3]: http://rachicks.com/category/Blog/walk-a-mile-in-our-shoes/

URL: http://rachicks.com/walk-a-mile-in-our-shoes-love-my-shoes/