Swimming with dragons

This RA Warrior is a dragon slayer. There is one particular dragon who is my arch enemy. It is the mythical version of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I imagine that as it deceives people about Rheumatoid Arthritis, there is less concern about whether a cure is needed for the real RA. The mythical version of RA is probably not a stranger to you. However, let’s warn any newbies among us about what it looks like.

The mythical RA versus the real RA

The mythical version of Rheumatoid Arthritis is a few aches and pains mixed in with a large amount of lethargy. It also includes some stupidity about medical treatments and how easy it is too cure anything at all today. Finally, the mythical RA tends to infect people who have no ambition or self esteem, but try to get attention and assistance by acting sick.

I know none of you has the mythical version of Rheumatoid Arthritis. I don’t either. That’s the reason so many of us reacted the way we did to the Woman’s Day article this summer which treated RA a bit lightly. It seemed that the writer was confused about the real RA.

Fighting the misperceptions about Rheumatoid Arthritis is one front of our war because the mythical versions of Rheumatoid Arthritis just don’t raise much concern for a cure. There is no need to spend lots of money doing research to cure whining. And meanwhile, since people don’t know the truth about the real RA, they may not afford RA’ers the assistance that they require one on one.

This RA Warrior is also athletic. However, the real Rheumatoid Arthritis makes it fairly impossible to express that characteristic. But, today, I got to do it a little.

I got to swim for a few minutes. I absolutely love to swim. I taught myself to swim when I was 18 years old in order to conquer my fear of water. (I had been pulled out of the water by a lifeguard when I was 10.)

One day, I swam 110 laps in my mom’s pool. Of course, a lap was only 7 strokes. I would swim every day of my life if I were able.

Today, I swam a few light laps until my shoulders and elbows could not take any more. Then, I rested in warm sunshine. When I knew it was my last chance, I got back in the water to see if I could do just a bit more. My hip would not let me kick, so I swam a couple of laps pulling my left leg as a dead weight. It was my choice. I was ecstatically happy to do that.

Why?

Because I am not lazy or lethargic. I am not stupid, unmotivated, or whiny. I have the real RA which fights my athletic desires. And I fight back like a warrior. And always doing the best that I can is who I really am.

And, by the way, if you ever see me sitting on a sofa with my feet on a pillow, I am still doing the same thing: I am doing the best that I can do. But, you can bet I’d rather be swimming.

(If you have not read the fantastic comments posted by RA Warriors on the Woman’s Day website, you should! Here is a link. I just went there again and it reminded me that the readers of this blog are topnotch!)

Note: Please see this follow-up video: Woman’s Day Rheumatoid Arthritis Article: A Video Appeal!

Want more Warrior?

• Inspiring story: A Summer Read for Rheumatoid Arthritis Warriors!
• Or for a smile: Laughter as a Weapon Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
• FYI: The Difference Between Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Copyright © 2009-2012 Kelly Young, All rights reserved.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 7:00 am and is filed under If you don't have RA, please read. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.