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

<p>Camille and Gittel share how lost and overwhelmed they felt trying to manage rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis on their own. They describe how  <a href="https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/rheum-to-thrive/">Rheum to THRIVE</a> helped them not only on a practical level but also emotionally, and share their best tips for managing flare-ups.</p><p>This conversation originally took place as an Instagram Live discussion in September 2021.</p><h2>Episode at a glance:</h2><ul><li>Camille’s journey getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis</li><li>Gittel’s journey with ankylosing spondylitis: diagnosed in 2018 after a lifetime of chronic pain</li><li>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.</li><li>Gittel & Camille join Cheryl’s Rheum to THRIVE educational support group program</li><li>Camille reflects on how the group has helped her process challenges around the pandemic and uncertainty</li><li>Gittel shares her experience overcoming shame around using mobility aids and helps others confront internalized ableism</li><li>Camille loses her health insurance and is forced to go to “Dr Google” for answers, which was terrifying</li><li>Camille joins Rheum to THRIVE and transforms to feeling confident and supported</li><li>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</li><li>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</li><li>Cheryl, Gittel & Camille share their Covid19 vaccine experiences</li></ul><h2>Medical disclaimer:</h2><p>All content found on <a href="https://arthritis.theenthusiasticlife.com/">Arthritis Life</a> public channels was created for generalized informational purpo