A.S. Face 1548: R.U.
MY PRISON
Did I do some awful thing?
Did I commit some dreadful crime?
Did I do something terrible,
For which I’m serving time?
I’m a prisoner in my body,
Doing time with no parole.
Living through hell day on day,
Torturing my soul.
The bars are forged of solid steel,
There’s no way to break free.
Trapped within my prison cell,
There’s no reprieve for me.
All day long I suffer,
And feel I may well go insane.
Wondering just what wrong I did,
To deserve all of this pain.
Criminals don’t pay this price,
They don’t pay this hefty cost.
They know one day they will be free,
That not all hope is lost.
Once they’ve served their sentence,
From their cell they’ll be set free.
Yet I remain imprisoned,
There’s no release for me.
No one should go through this,
In fact of that I’m sure.
I need freed from my prison,
I deserve to have a cure.
~Written by Tracy Hicks
My name is R. U. I am HLA-B27 positive with a family history. I was diagnosed with AS at age 34 after many years of being told it was just mechanical backpain by multiple Rheumatologists. I am a wife to an awesome man and mother of 2 wonderful boys. I feel blessed to have a very loving and supportive family and doctor! They have been there for me every step of the way! They have taught me to never give up and just take it day by day.
British Columbia, Canada
The Faces Of Ankylosing Spondylitis 
Dear R,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie
Thank you…that poem was really so much of what I think too..so sorry
Very sorry for all that you have to endure, my son 24 was diagnose with as as I try to understand and learn about this illness I join this group to find words or people that encourage me so I can do the same with my kid.