My journey started after the delivery of my first daughter. I started experiencing sharp pains in my wrist so I couldn’t carry my princess without support and my husband had to support me with the house chores. As time passed, it subsided and I could go about my normal duties again so we thought everything was fine.

Three years down the line, my mummy passed on and I had to step into her role for the sake of my siblings. As a result of the mounting pressure this came with, the pain returned and it was unbearable but I got pregnant with baby number 2 and the complications of pregnancy made it even worse. Even my hair started falling off. The elderly women at the time ascribed it to heat emanating from pregnancy and that it was nothing to worry about. I carried to term and put to bed without complications so we assumed everything was going to be fine.

Two to three years later, one fine morning, as I was going about my chores sweeping, there was that sharp pain in my wrist again. I screamed and ran to my husband for consolation, and he massaged it with some ointment, before I left for work.

The next morning, I got stuck in bed. My legs felt numb with a tingling sensation. I could move my left arm but my right was all swollen up and I couldn’t lift it. I panicked and started asking myself why and how this was happening. How would I take a shower? How would I cook for my family? The African in me thought “someone has done and said something against you spiritually” or “you must have stepped on a charm meant for someone else”. Some family members said for it to resolve, it must be massaged by a person who is a twin or has twin children. At this point, we had run so many lab tests without finding anything so even my dad who is a health practitioner started saying the same thing. He even added that I touched my late mom’s (may she rest on) things without permission, so this could be a punishment from her ghost.

What next?

After all the African interventions and superstitions you can think of, we went back to the hospital. More laboratory tests, scans, MRI’s, and X-rays were done, and yet nothing was found until my colleague at the office, Gracey, suggested that I be referred to a specialist at the medical block of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for their opinion.

It was there that is was diagnosed with Seronegative Inflammatory Rheumatoid Arthritis, by the wonderful rheumatologist Dr. Dey. She explained it, as an autoimmune condition where my immune system is attacking itself. The worst is you being told it can only be managed and not cured. At that moment, my mind, body and emotions were a complete mess. I was confused, scared, and lost.

This was a bitter pill to swallow. At first I thought, was it not better not to know? I would have managed with a free mind. However, Dr Dey explained that early diagnosis and medical interventions are key to disease management. I was diagnosed early, before any irreversible damage to my internal organs or joints. So with adherence to medication, good diet, good lifestyle changes and holding on to faith in God and hope for a better tomorrow, I could live a relatively good long life.

I was later on introduced to the Rheusolute support group where I met others like me. Some have been living with their conditions for over 10 years. Others have cases worse off than mine, but are still living their lives and dreams, one day at a time. Some have completed their degrees, done their masters and even PHDs. Others have gone through the rigorous journey called medical and law school and are now practicing. Indeed I had found a new family and there was hope.

My name is Ruby and I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. Others have Lupus, Alopecia, Gout, Multiple Sclerosis and many others.

I am grateful to God for my life, my supportive husband and backbone, my wonderful cheerleading daughters who make me believe I can do it, my awesome rheumatologist, Dr. Dey and her fantastic medical team, and the incomparable support group she put together, Rheusolute, of persons like me doing awesome things in their various fields, not allowing autoimmune diseases to dictate their lives.

We will keep pushing on till a cure is found.