Day 182: Happy New Year

To say 2011 has been a bit of a roller-coaster would probably be the biggest understatement since someone said that RA hurts.

2011 has been the year in which yet another treatment has failed leaving me barely able to walk, with irreversibly damaged hands and, at one point, in the A&E department of Leeds General Infirmary sobbing my heart out and begging for someone to help me - yep, RA strips you of your dignity as well as your independence and nope, nobody could do anything  to help. However 2011 has also been the year which saw me celebrate my 24th birthday pain free for the first time in over nine years thanks to my shiny new treatment. 

I shall leave you, and 2011, with a quick run down of the highlights:

- Yet another treatment failed. And I'm pretty sure I broke some sort of record with 4 GP, 1 out of hours, and 1 A&E visit in the space of a week. 

- Despite not being able to walk six weeks earlier, I completed London Marathon number three (with a little help from my brother and a swig of cider at mile 16). 

- I passed my exams. 

- I started new treatment.

- I saw Take That live.

- I rode a bike for the first time in nine years. 

- I started an amazing new job.

- I got a tattoo: the co-ordinates of the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro - my biggest achievement to date - on my damaged wrist. It reminds me of what I can achieve despite the pain.

- I went to Wigan to learn about hips. And to talk about mine. 

- I celebrated my 24th birthday pain free. 

- I said 'shit' in front of some posh peeps... and talked about joints (of course) at the ARUK 75th anniversary Lantern Opera. 

- I started bone treatment. 

- I talked some more about joints at the ARUK All Staff Day in Loughborough. 

- I talked about joints some more. 

- And last but not least, I went another whole year without letting my bitch of a disease defeat me. 

...I have a pretty good feeling about 2012. 

Happy New Year! 

Love,

Cat x