YoUr tOo YOung tOo hAVe BAck pAIn - uneducated rant
37yo female. diagnosed with nr-axSpA in 2024. Treating & managing with Cimzia and weight training.
Experiencing a minor flare currently that started the morning of the 4th. So any movement especially after any bout of rest is not great. While the pain is exponentially less than pre-diagnosed; after seeing where this disease lands on a pain chart I do whatever my body needs to push through, including sometimes standing up like a senior citizen.
Well yesterday was one of those days where I had an aunt give me the “yOur yOuNgEr tHaA mE yOu can’T HaVe BaCk pAin.” spiel. And even my Dad asking what was wrong.
Trying to articulate to friends and family the severity of this disease especially when it comes to pain is just frustrating and tiresome. This isn’t just arthritis. This isn’t a sore back from sleeping wrong.
I snapped at my Dad mostly because he has seen me pre-diagnosis and even asked me the question at one point of “what are you going to do when you’re 80”…so when I was finally able to share with him the diagnosis he would understand it’s not an injury or a fluke. And he’s been the type of Dad who researches and is always on the internet reading about anything & everything. So him not taking the time to understand this battle - and continue to ask pestering questions especially after the comment from my aunt has just got me more frustrated at this disease than ever.
Do I want to move like an elder? Fuck no. Do I want to live everyday day always in some slight fear of is today the day I get my next major flare? Absolutely not. But what do I want to absolutely not have to do anymore? Someone in my circle understand what this disease actually means & carries. Because apparently having to give myself injections twice a month means it can’t be that bad.
Rant over. Thanks for reading.