VOICE-OVER: I was an avid runner, you know, I’d run 3 to 6 miles several days a week. For me, running was kind of, like, therapeutic.

I’m Carol and I’ve been living with moderate rheumatoid arthritis since 2016. As I started getting these symptoms, you know, every time I would, you know, land on my left foot I would feel this sharp pain and I kept thinking, well, you know, it must be something wrong with my shoes or something like that. I think eventually I realized there was something really going on. You know, I went from running a half-marathon to barely being able to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

I knew that it was most likely going to be rheumatoid arthritis but hearing it said out loud I have to say probably to this point in my life it was the most devastating moment. I knew that that was my turning point that I just needed to do something different. And I eventually went to another rheumatologist and came up with a different treatment plan.

Gradually, over the course of 6 months or so, I started getting stronger again. I started feeling less pain. And so now I’m able to run a couple miles a couple days a week. Which is just huge for me, ‘cause that’s just something I absolutely love to do and did not want to give up. I am so grateful that I am where I am today. Don’t ever give up. Get back to where you want to be.