Life with Rheumatoid Arthritis

🌍 International Day of Persons with Disabilities 🌍

Today, I’m sharing something close to my heart - living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

RA is an autoimmune disease that doesn’t just affect joints - it affects my entire life. On the outside, I might look fine, but the reality is much more complicated:

💥 There’s the pain—some days, it’s a dull ache; other days, it feels like fire in my bones.
🌙 There’s the fatigue—a bone-deep exhaustion that doesn’t go away with rest.
💪 There are the flares—unpredictable days when my body feels like it’s at war with itself, and even getting out of bed is a victory.
🧠 And there’s the emotional toll—the anxiety, the isolation, and the frustration of navigating a world that often doesn’t see or understand invisible disabilities.

For a long time, I struggled with the idea of RA being a disability. I didn’t want to use that word. I didn’t want to feel “different” or “less than.” But that’s the truth. RA is a disability. And acknowledging that has been one of the hardest but most empowering things I’ve done. I’ve realized that accepting RA as part of who I am doesn’t make me weak. It means I’m learning to ask for what I need. It means I’m advocating for myself in a world that often overlooks invisible struggles.

Today, on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I want to raise awareness about RA and other invisible disabilities. I want to remind others - and especially myself - that we don’t have to pretend we’re fine when we’re not.

Let’s continue to:

🌟 Talk openly about invisible disabilities.
🌟 Support each other and build more inclusive communities.
🌟 Reject shame and embrace our whole selves - because we are more than our challenges.

With Rheumatoid Arthritis, as with many other illnesses, a large part of the journey is staying positive! Easier said than done, but I feel these little posts from TinyBuddha have a huge impact on me. My phone gallery, as well as my home, is filled with these beautiful little one-liners in their vibrant colours. ❤️

Rheumatoid Arthritis - the name is quite misleading. More so, because it begins with joint pains, swelling and inflammation. And a lot of the times, your physician may not guide you on the extent of damage it can do to the rest of your body.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It is your own immune system attacking your body. And yes, it begins in the joints. That is often where it is diagnosed too. But it does not limit itself there.

I have just been officially diagnosed with RA a little over 2 years ago, and within this short span of time I have learned so much about the disease. Yet, I continue to learn something new every few days too.

I found this great infographic that shows some of the major ways Rheumatoid Arthritis can affect your body. This list is definitely not complete, but it gives you a starting point.

And no, this isn't to scare you. This is rather to prepare you. To look out for the symptoms and connect the dots before the effects of RA get worse. Often times, we don't share everything with our physicians because we feel those symptoms aren't related to what they are currently treating you for. And you can be very wrong here. With Rheumatoid Arthritis, each and every little detail is connected and it matters.

Don't ignore what your body if trying to tell you. May we all heal soon. 🤗

The last few months have been kind of a downward spiral, and I just haven't been able to get myself to write about it. I will give it a try now, and try to be more regular.

This morning, my Google photos app shared a memory with me, that though was a beautiful one, has left me in tears since. Sharing it here, and I am sure a lot of you might be able to relate to it.

I had beautiful hair till about 2 years ago. Being an otherwise simple girl, that was my favourite feature.

Methotrexate has been a wonder drug for my RA. The flares have been under control, and I have been able to regain most of my independence. But at the same time, it has made me lose my precious hair. A fact I still have not been able to come to terms with. It leaves me sad every minute of every day. A silly thing maybe, it's just hair, as I'm often told, and I can't seem to explain the feeling to those around me. 😭