Living with arthritis

Ida Weibel's personal essay for Newsweek's Web site, Living with Arthritis, is a must-read: even though she' spent 10 years living with rheumatoid arthritis and not ankylosing spondylitis, anyone with a chronic debilitating illness will recognize her experience. This passage, for example, is just as relevant to us:

When RA patients complain about their illness, few understand or acknowledge their suffering. Every adult has experienced a painful elbow, knee, finger, or some other joint that interferes with physical activities. But people can be dismissive of our chronic problems because RA isn't life-threatening and may seem less serious than some other diseases. Those with rheumatoid arthritis, especially those with severe symptoms, are often silent and solitary sufferers.

Via About.com Arthritis.