A.S. Face 1469: Chris Cancilla
My name is Chris Cancilla, I was diagnosed while in the US Air Force at the ripe old age of 19 around 1979. By the time I was 20 I was having trouble walking and was told by doctors that I will be in a wheel chair for life in the next 5 years. So, I started swimming and regained a little mobility. The military also tested a variety of drugs on me while I was in and several of them were taken off the market, like ZOMAX. I kinda liked that one actually.
But, all in all, as long as I stay active, I CAN be active. i just retired as a Scoutmaster of a Boy Scout troop and moved to a Unit Commissioner role since I cannot do the backpack and high adventure stuff any longer. But I still camp when I can.
I have been on ENBREL for the past 10 or 12 years, can’t remember exactly….hang on, let me ask my wife…. yep, ten years now this past May.
I take a few other things (pills) every day, once a day, and have a fairly good quality of life but I do have constant pain that I consider a 1 or a 2 level. I was told by my Doctor that what i consider a 2 is what most “normal” people (she said I an definitely not normal!! I like her!!) would consider a 6 or a 7.
Anyway, my worst thing to do is walk slow in a store or a mall. The knees pretty much stop working after an hour or so. if I walk faster I can last longer.
So, that’s my story, thanks for listening.
Now is the time for questions and answers.
Chris Cancilla
Smyrna, Georgia, United States of America
Dear Chris,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie