In addition to all of the healthcare professionals who have affected my life, my family members have cared for me, loved me and accepted me despite all of my limitations. My daughter, Laura, was born four years after my RA diagnosis. She grew up with a mother who had pain, numerous surgeries and needed help doing many daily tasks. Laura entered and won first place in a Mother’s Day contest when she described me as inspirational in my approach to living with RA. Even as a young adult, she offers to help me and teaches her children to look for ways to meet the needs of others.
My granddaughter, Kate, once told me, “You have a lot of things wrong with you, but you’re still a good grandma!”
My husband, Gary, has helped care for me for the past 40 years, performing everything from packing my thigh wound nightly for almost two years to cooking meals, house cleaning and emptying commodes. He is known as the “caregiver extraordinaire” to our friends, who marvel at his attitude and willingness to serve. As all of my doctors and therapists know, Gary can be found always at my side in the hospital or at any appointment.
I am truly blessed to have been assigned a life of living with RA. Without this difficult life, I would never have met so many amazing people, nor would I have been able to touch the lives of others for the past 40 years.
Sarah Troxell, RN, BSN, was the nurse coordinator and patient educator for the Coordinated Rheumatology and Pain Management Programs at Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh, Wis., until her retirement. She is an emeritus member of the ARHP. She now resides in Longview, Texas.
Don’t miss these other articles by Sarah Troxell, in which she shares advice for rheumatologists and patients alike..
- Lessons Learned from a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Advice Rheumatologists Can Share with Patients Planning to Relocate, a Patient Perspective
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Shares Lessons Learned from Breaking Leg in a Fall
