From Overwhelmed to Confident: Camille & Gittel’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Stories

Camille and Gittel share how lost and overwhelmed they felt trying to manage rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis on their own. They describe how Rheum to THRIVE helped them not only on a practical level but also emotionally, and share their best tips for managing flare-ups.

This conversation originally took place as an Instagram Live discussion in September 2021.

Episode at a glance:

• Camille’s journey getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (Camille is at https://www.instagram.com/camilledemere/ on Instagram)
• Gittel’s journey with ankylosing spondylitis: diagnosed in 2018 after a lifetime of chronic pain (Gittel is at https://www.instagram.com/gittel_gt/ on Instagram)
• How Gittel and Camille felt overwhelmed, confused and alone while trying to manage their conditions on their own. Gittel finds an online support group but it wasn’t a good fit for her.
• Gittel & Camille join Cheryl’s Rheum to THRIVE educational support group program
• Camille reflects on how the group has helped her process challenges around the pandemic and uncertainty
• Gittel shares her experience overcoming shame around using mobility aids and helps others confront internalized ableism
• Camille loses her health insurance and is forced to go to “Dr Google” for answers, which was terrifying
• Camille joins Rheum to THRIVE and transforms to feeling confident and supported
• Gittel shares how terrified she was about using “Dr. Google” to learn about ankylosing spondylitis and how the organization of Rheum to THRIVE helped her feel less overwhelmed
• Cheryl, Gittel and Camille share tips for flare ups: rest breaks, hot showers, breath work, alternative pain relief such as cannabis, mental work such as anchor breathing and mindfulness exercises
• Cheryl, Gittel & Camille share their Covid19 vaccine experiences

Medical disclaimer:

All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Episode Sponsors

Rheum to THRIVE, a community support & education program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. Join the next group today!

Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap

A self-paced online course Cheryl created that teaches you how to confidently manage your physical, social and emotional life with rheumatoid arthritis.

Full Episode Details including Transcript

See more details and a full transcript at www.MyArthritisLife.Net

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