A.S. Face 1699: Teresa Reifsnyder
Hi my name is Teresa Reifsnyder. Most of you all know me as Scarletkaye on here in our group. I’ve been diagnosed with AS for the past 7 years now and its progressing slowly thanks to my terrific Rheumatoid Arthritis Specialist. He has tried so many things and finally found a combo that works on this ailing with my other autoimmune diseases which are fibromyalgia degenerative disc disease neuropathy and just tired lol. I hope people know we all are in pain everyday even though we don’t look like it. I did accounting for most of my life until 4 years ago and I could no longer sit and deal with back and leg pain. I am 58 years old and still feel I have a lot of life left but this disease steals so much away! Thanks so much for reading and I am hoping they find a cure.
Love,
Teresa
Maryland, United States of America
Dear Teresa,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie
Hi there
Yes we are in a lot of pain but we s manage to find ways to enjoy lifessss
I worked as a financial analyst for years until 2 years ago I quit my job because I couldn’t tolerate the back pain from sitting long hours then commuting 1 hr each way to & from work. (I’m 57). After a lumbar xray My rheumy says it’s osteoarthritis (even after complaints of periodic pain in my shoulders, hips, hands, knees & feet). I also suffer from ulcerative colitis (for 25 yrs). My blood work is all normal (no inflammation – I am on antiinflammatories for my UC and hla-b27 is negative) no indications of lupus or RA or AS …. So rheumy dx me w fibromyalgia … ugh!
I eat whole foods – no preservatives and limit my inflammatory foods – stay moving until I’m just too tired – work PT from home now (w a heating pad on my back for >3hrs behind the computer) and as supervisor in a small gift store (that keeps me moving – and I sit when I get tired). My back is a mess – the smallest movement gives it quite a twinge … gardening – that I love makes me ache for days.
I plug along – actually don’t know if I’d want to treat with biologics if I was ever dx’d – scared of side effects … so I move move move.