Shelly Fortier
Just about one year ago everything went totally out of hand. Ended up in urgent care thinking that I had a bad cold. Well after 3 hours and many blood tests, monitoring, and being away from my strong family I was finally told that I had Vertigo. That lead to MRI’s of the brain (they were afraid I had fluid building in the cerebelum) . Then came the on slot of antibiotics, x rays poking and prodding, you all know the drill. Finally one antibiotic caused my tendons to flare, now we have started the Rhumey visits more x rays, blood work, drugs…. really started feeling like I was going insane! It all had to be in my head. One more physical exam from rhuemy showed that my lower lumbar did not move. (Haven’t been able to touch my toes in years! Never thought anything about it.) One more blood test – checking for a gene- guess what I do not carry the gene!!!!!! So more poking and prodding she finally handed me a pamphlet on spinal arthritis. Had me read through it and take more x rays a week later she gave me the diagnosis. You have Ankylosing Spondylitis and secondary Fibro Myalgia.
It has now been 8 months and I have learned to live with it.
No more fighting my body, mentally it has become easier.
Thank you for your courage to put faces to this disease.
Shelly Fortier
Mother of 3
Wife of 12 years
Oceanside California United States of America
The Faces Of Ankylosing Spondylitis 
Dear Shelly,
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
Sincerely Cookie