MAC Region: JF Noridian
Tell us a little bit about who you are apart from your illness.
I’m Brenda, from Bismarck, North Dakota, the capital city. I enjoy writing in my spare time. I author a blog, where my storyteller Trevor, shares tales from a Golden Retriever’s point of view. I have coauthored 2 books and have contributed to several others, in the Grief Diaries/Real Life Diaries Anthology Series. I am a 10 year brain tumor survivor of a nonmalignant right frontal lobe meningioma. My writing started as a result of that experience. I suddenly became creative. I enjoy going for walks, and communing with nature. Music has always been my escape, when I need to become calm and centered.
What is your diagnosis and when were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in May of 1991, at the age of 31. Oddly enough, that is Arthritis Awareness Month in the United States.
Can you talk a little bit about your experience with diagnosis?
I was not actually told by my rheumatologist that I had rheumatoid arthritis. All he said was, “This is going to take us longer than we thought.” His nurse handed me pamphlets with how I was supposed to live with this disease, for the rest of my life. I had my answer. I had rheumatoid arthritis. I thought my life was over. Clearly, it was not! I have lived with RA for 27 years.
What is your greatest challenge in living with a rheumatic disease?
The fact that it doesn’t always show on the outside. I deal with massive fatigue, and chronic pain. I know that moving is paramount, to keep my joints mobile. That can be challenging, when you are so fatigued.
Describe something that keeps you hopeful in the day-to-day struggles with your illness.
A sense of humor and being able to accept that it is okay to be me, with all the challenges thrown at me daily. I think that the most important thing to remember is, concentrate on the things you can do and not lament, on what can no longer be accomplished. Always moving forward and hoping for the best outcome.
Why is advocacy important to you?
I know that making a difference in speaking out for those who feel they have no voice, is something that I can do. I have a passion for helping others and letting them know. that I truly have their back. You are not alone!
