RA Support Center

RISE™ Ambassadors

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect nearly every aspect of your life, from your employment to your personal relationships and everything in between. It's important to remember that you're not alone—others have been there and faced many of the same challenges.

Below, you'll find videos of real people with RA talking about overcoming everyday challenges, confronting emotional difficulties and navigating the often complicated process of finding a treatment that works for them.

Hearing their stories and experiences—their steps and missteps toward better disease management—can provide both inspiration and information to help you lead a full and active life with RA.

For more information that may help you manage your RA, including tips for talking to your doctor and email updates about the latest in RA treatment, enroll in RISE, an RA education and support network.

Every treatment has potential benefits and risks for you, and you should discuss your options with your rheumatologist.

Keep in mind that everyone is different, and not everyone responds to Rituxan in the same way. Individual results may vary.

See below for Important Safety Information

Shortly after the birth of her youngest son in 1994, Debbie began experiencing severe pain in her arms that eventually moved to her shoulders, both legs and feet. The pain became so extreme, she couldn't lift herself out of chairs and needed her 5-year-old son's help to turn the car key in the ignition. Worse, Debbie could not get a diagnosis or find a doctor who took her symptoms seriously. But she persevered and finally found a rheumatologist who correctly diagnosed her with RA in 2001.

Unfortunately, it would take two treatments with anti-TNF therapies that did not work for her before she found her current therapy in late 2006. Though she knows her RA is not cured, Debbie is able to enjoy being a mother to her three children and even babysitting triplets!

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Marilyn was in her early forties when she told her family doctor that her feet hurt when she went on walks. But it took four more years before he finally referred her to a rheumatologist, and another two years before she was diagnosed with RA. Years later, at an arthritis workshop, she found a new rheumatologist. He had her switch to a different medication, which gave her some relief. But she lived in fear of her RA growing worse, and packed as much adventure into her life as she could before the disease made it impossible.

Marilyn's doctor added a new drug therapy to her regimen in 2006, which has helped her manage her pain and decreased her swelling. Although she still has RA, she can do many of the things she enjoys. She has learned to accept what she can't do and celebrate what she can. She says she is wiser now, and kinder to herself, staying active but taking it easy on her joints. Time is no longer her enemy.

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Kathy first began noticing symptoms of RA in 1998. She was just 34 years old with three children under four when she began what seemed like an endless parade of visits to the doctor's office complaining about various symptoms, primarily fatigue. The doctor attributed most of what Kathy saw as symptoms to the fallout from the demands of motherhood.

Kathy was eventually able to convince her doctor her symptoms were more than just being a tired mother. He sent her to a rheumatologist who was able to diagnosis her symptoms as RA and took the time to explain the diagnosis and the chronic illness she was now living with. Kathy was thrilled she had such a knowledgeable and engaging doctor, which empowered her to take an active role in making her health care and treatment decisions. Unfortunately, it would take two treatments with anti-TNF therapies that did not work for her before she found her current therapy in late 2006.

Though Kathy's RA is still active, she feels her symptoms have improved, and she's now able to do more of the things that add up to her being herself.

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In addition to being a devoted wife, Rose held down a factory job while raising her children. Rose's responsibilities were compromised, however, when she began to experience pain in her joints. As the symptoms persisted, she visited her family doctor, who diagnosed her with RA and, over the next couple of years, prescribed medications which were ineffective at relieving her pain.

Rose endured the swelling and stiffness of RA for several more years before getting a referral to a rheumatologist in 2000. Her rheumatologist prescribed several therapies with marginal results. Not being one to give up easily, Rose partnered with her doctor, starting a then new therapy for her RA in the fall of 2006. Since then, Rose feels more active and now enjoys cake decorating and has taken on the challenge of making her daughter's wedding cake.

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As a former Navy JAG with a penchant for martial arts, Jay, a Seattle firefighter, seemed unstoppable. It wasn't until he was sidelined with a severe case of food poisoning in 2002 that Jay's health began to deteriorate. A week after his unexpected illness, Jay experienced intense pain and swelling in his feet. The pain progressed and intensified in the weeks that followed. His doctor knew something was wrong, but gave no diagnosis.

Disheartened, he sought a second opinion. Jay's new doctor diagnosed him with RA and began treating him with a variety of medications, but they only seemed to buffer the pain. Anti-TNFs helped alleviate his inflammation, but for Jay the treatments did not reduce his chronic pain. In 2006, Jay partnered with his doctor to begin his current treatment.

Though Jay's RA is still active, he feels his range of motion has improved since starting his therapy. Jay continues to work long hours with the fire department and hasn't missed a karate championship to date, evidence that Jay refuses to be benched by his RA.

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Your Time to RISE™

RISE (RA Information, Service, and Education) is an entire support network dedicated to helping you get the most out of your treatment. Enroll in RISE to receive:

• A personalized Doctor Discussion Guide to help you have more effective conversations with your health care team
• Customized E-mail communications designed to provide you with useful information that may help you learn more about living with and managing RA
• A helpful DVD with more information about how to manage RA
• Invitations to upcoming RA events in your area