"I woke up and couldn’t walk. My hip was in unbearable pain, and no matter how much I tried to move, my body wouldn’t cooperate" - Jordan's story with Rheumatoid Arthritis

When I was 17, I noticed a small bump on my wrist. It didn’t hurt much at first, just a dull ache that came and went. I brushed it off, thinking it was nothing serious. But over time, the pain gradually worsened. Still, I ignored it, convincing myself that it was just a minor issue.

Then, when I was 18 and in college, everything changed. One morning, I woke up and couldn’t walk. My hip was in unbearable pain, and no matter how much I tried to move, my body wouldn’t cooperate. Fear set in as I realized this was something far more serious than I had imagined. I went to the hospital, where doctors ran tests and examined me. After hours of waiting, they told me I had fluid buildup in my hip. I spent four nights in the hospital, confused and scared, before finally receiving my diagnosis—rheumatoid arthritis.

My world flipped upside down. I kept asking, Why is this happening to me? I felt completely alone. No one my age could understand what I was going through. While my friends worried about exams and weekend plans, I was learning about medications, inflammation, and lifelong management of a disease I never saw coming. It was one of the loneliest times of my life.

From that moment on, I knew I had to take control of what I could. I started prioritizing my diet, reducing stress, and paying closer attention to my body. It wasn’t an overnight fix, and the journey has been far from easy, but I’m incredibly grateful for how far I’ve come. Now, I choose to see life with a glass-half-full mindset. While I still have challenges, I focus on everything I can do rather than what I can’t. Looking back, I’m proud of the strength I found in myself during my hardest moments—and even more excited for the future ahead.

With Love,

Jordan