Run rheumatoid arthritis | Nursing homework help

Disease Process: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus

How old are you? What is your relationship to me? How long have you had the disorder?

I am 23 years old, and Aaliyah and I met through work where we quickly became friends. I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in November of 2018, so I have had this disease for about 5 years now. I recently was also diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

What symptoms of the disorder do you experience? How do these symptoms compare to what’s typically described in medical resources?

With RA/Lupus, I experience a variety of symptoms. Not every day do I necessarily experience these symptoms, I mainly experience it anywhere from 3-4 times a week. My flareups usually come in the morning when I wake up and can last anywhere from an hour to 3 hours. I experience inflammation in numerous joints in my body, from my hands to my knees even to my feet. I will also experience tightness and sharp pain within the joints that are experiencing the flareup. These flareups can be so painful, that it can become incredibly hard to do normal day to day tasks that other people would not even have to think twice about accomplishing. Along with the pain, are symptoms like fatigue, depression, and anxiety. I would say that these symptoms compare accurately with what is described in medical resources. The only thing that is not described enough within medical resources I personally think would be just how much these symptoms can hold you back from accomplishing your typical activities of daily living. Or the toll theses diseases really take on you mentally as a whole.

What complications related to the disorder do you experience? How does this compare to what’s generally mentioned in medical resources?

The main complication that I experience from these disorders are deformities. Living with a disease that causes chronic inflammation, also can cause damage to the joints that are being attacked. My fingers have some bone erosion, which has caused some deformities at the base of my finger joints. This at times can cause me difficulties in accomplishing things as simple as eating, holding/grasping certain objects, or even dressing myself. Another complication I experience is dry eye, my immune system attacks my moisture producing cells, which in return causes dry eye for me. And since I wear contact lenses it makes it incredibly difficult at times. There are many more complications that have arose like kidney and liver issues among other things. These are things that can be found in medical resources, I would say medical resources align with these complications well.

Have you been diagnosed with any other medical conditions or disorders? Do these conditions have any impact on your disorder?

I have also been diagnosed with Lupus as I stated earlier. Lupus and RA go hand in hand in a lot of ways. So, there is not a huge difference in the way this condition also impacts my RA. A lot of the symptoms are similar; however my liver and kidney levels do have to be checked more often due to the damage Lupus can cause to those organs. It also causes me to experience some skin issues like rashes and fevers. Other than that, it does not really cause much of an impact on my RA.

How does this disease influence your daily activities? (For instance, do you need frequent hospitalization, take many medications, have activity restrictions, or attend multiple medical appointments?)

Well, it certainly limits me in certain physical activities. I am limited with carrying some things that may be a heavy, depending on the day and if I have a flareup I can’t work out. I must get blood work once a month, and as well go to an infusion center once a month to get my medication through an IV, which takes about 2-3 hours. I also take medications every day, and twice a month give myself an injection. The fatigue I experience also can make it hard to get up and do the things I need to accomplish, like nursing school, work, chores around the house etc. But my goal is to keep myself healthy in other ways besides making sure I am taking my medication; on days I cannot work out I will make sure I at least stretch or do some yoga. I get acupuncture done at least once a week, and I eat things very healthy. I try and listen to my body, and there are certain foods that causes me to have a flare-up. So, I stay away from dairy, and gluten as much as I can. Mainly try and incorporate turmeric in my diet, organ meats, and a lot of vegetables and fruits.

How does this disease or disorder shape your outlook on life? (Do you feel like a burden to your family? Do you have strong family support? Do you ever feel hopeless or conversely, optimistic? How do you cope?)

When I first got diagnosed it changed my outlook on life for the worse. I quit nursing school, thinking that with this disease there was no way I could accomplish the dreams I had. I got very depressed not knowing what the future would look like, or what my career options were. But here we are 5 years later, I went back to nursing school, and have not allowed my disease to hold me back any longer. My family supports me immensely, I would not be where I am if it weren’t for them. Both my sisters are nurses as well, so they have gone above and beyond in offering me advice and support as I faced these diseases head on. Most of all my husband, is my biggest supporter. He does everything he can to make my life easier, even on days where I feel great. He goes out of his way to make sure I have everything I need to succeed in life. In anyway he can help me he is there without me asking. Most of all I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for him. I cope mainly by relying on God, my family, and finding the joys that I can in life. Going to the gym when I can, walking, yoga, and my emotional support dog Diesel.

What would you like me to understand most from our conversation?

I think the thing I always want people to walk away with whenever I discuss my autoimmune disorders, is just because you can’t see someone’s disease does not mean it is not there. More often than not when people look at me, they think that I am perfectly fine, I look healthy to anyone else. But I’m not, and you never know what someone else is struggling with. So be kind, be careful of your words. Things as simple as someone saying, “Why can’t you do that?” or “You look fine to me” affect me in ways that others may never be able to understand.

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