WHEN I WAS DIAGNOSED with degenerative rheumatoid arthritis, the medical specialist said I would become extremely weak and would eventually not be able to move on my own or care for myself. Shortly after, when the symptoms worsened, the doctor prescribed medication so I could withstand the pain, but he said there was no treatment he knew of that could cure the disease.
I have always been a very active woman, and not having freedom of movement was unimaginable. I have two teenage children, and I began to sink with discouragement when I thought about the future with them having to bathe and carry me.
Within a short time, my condition deteriorated to the point that I was no longer able to work, after being a teacher for 28 years.
