A.S. Face 1978: Suzanne Evans
My name is Suzanne Evans, I’m a 45 y/o mother, wife, grandmother and Veteran (Afghanistan OEF 2011-2012, Combat Medic)
I was very athletic growing up, playing basketball, volleyball, track etc. I am tall, 5’11”. As I went through growth spurts in my early teens, I suffered growing pains in my legs…some times they felt so heavy I could barely run. Both of my knees would swell occasionally and I once had to get my Rt. Knee drained as it ballooned up huge. I’ve always had knees that would crunch when going up stairs (my childhood doctor told me I just had rough knee caps).
I had fainting spells starting in my late teens and they were attributed to low blood pressure and anemia. In my early 20’s I began to have strange heart palpitations that still come and go today.
In my late 20’s I got seriously into running and was training for the Hood-to-Coast relay. I woke up one morning couldn’t step on my left foot (fell to the ground). It was determined I had a pinched sciatic nerve. Physical therapy and chiropractic care.
In my mid 30’s I joined the Military as a combat Medic. Soon after training began, I ended up getting horrible swelling in both ankles. They were so big, I was required to lay in bed for a week with them elevated. From that time on, I began having swelling on a regular basis. Flying is the worst.
I also ended with a stress fracture in my left femoral neck, no fun.
After I completed training, I injured my lower back while doing PT. I went to physical therapy, but my back never got better and I just learned to live with the pain and medicated with ibuprofen.
While on tour in Afghanistan, I was very busy and I wore a full combat load of about 80lbs on my shoulder, pretty much every day for a year. After I came home, my neck, middle back, lower back were a complete mess. I also began having painful and tingling feeling in both my forearms, hands and wrists as well as pain going down both legs and a painful and tingling feeling in my shins and feet.
I had seen many doctors over the course of the past 10yrs (Military, Civilian and finally the VA). Finally, last year (2017) I ended up seeing an amazing Rheumatologist through the VA in my home state, and after running lab work, x-Ray and MRI…it was determined that I have AS (HLA B27 +) as well as fibromyalgia.
I am relieved to finally know what is wrong with me and now have a treatment plan in place. Humira and meloxicam, as well as regular yoga and ZERO alcohol. I was self medicating for yrs using alcohol.
I am a Warrior ❤️
Suzanne Evans
Oregon, Unites States of America
The Faces Of Ankylosing Spondylitis 
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and for your service.
Sincerely Cookie
Welcome. Face 40 (Elizabeth)