Brady's Story
After a weekend of yard work, Brady could hardly get out of bed or stand without support. When an eye infection developed days later, his doctor became concerned and took a closer look.
At 36, Brady Bowman is surprised to be living with arthritis. In his youth, he played basketball and volleyball and enjoyed snowboarding and going to the beach. In his 20s, he started having back pain, but assumed it was from being active or the work he was doing at that time. He never had a thought that it might be something other than normal, everyday aches and pains.
After a weekend of yard work, Brady had trouble getting out of bed. He was in tremendous pain and couldn't stand without holding onto something. The pain in his lower back was severe and was shooting down his leg. This lasted a couple of weeks and eventually subsided to a tolerable level. Then his eye became very red and painful. He went to his doctor and was prescribed drops for pink eye.
As it turns out, Brady didn't have pink eye. When the pain became worse, he was referred to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed him with anterior uveitis. The ophthalmologist started asking questions about back pain and eventually Brady was tested for the HLA-B27 marker, which is a sign of a form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This came back positive.
A rheumatologist ran a series of lab tests, x-rays and MRIs and confirmed Brady did have AS. This form of arthritis primarily affects the spine, and if left untreated, can sometimes cause the spine to fuse. Brady now receives an injection every 14 days to control his pain and manage the progression of his disease.
Brady is thankful for the support of his amazing wife, Jen, and two awesome kids, Wes and Parker. “I never thought that as a young individual I would have arthritis,” says Brady. “But with a proper diagnosis and a good treatment plan, I have been able to live an active, mostly pain-free lifestyle.”
After a weekend of yard work, Brady had trouble getting out of bed. He was in tremendous pain and couldn't stand without holding onto something. The pain in his lower back was severe and was shooting down his leg. This lasted a couple of weeks and eventually subsided to a tolerable level. Then his eye became very red and painful. He went to his doctor and was prescribed drops for pink eye.
As it turns out, Brady didn't have pink eye. When the pain became worse, he was referred to an ophthalmologist who diagnosed him with anterior uveitis. The ophthalmologist started asking questions about back pain and eventually Brady was tested for the HLA-B27 marker, which is a sign of a form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This came back positive.
A rheumatologist ran a series of lab tests, x-rays and MRIs and confirmed Brady did have AS. This form of arthritis primarily affects the spine, and if left untreated, can sometimes cause the spine to fuse. Brady now receives an injection every 14 days to control his pain and manage the progression of his disease.
Brady is thankful for the support of his amazing wife, Jen, and two awesome kids, Wes and Parker. “I never thought that as a young individual I would have arthritis,” says Brady. “But with a proper diagnosis and a good treatment plan, I have been able to live an active, mostly pain-free lifestyle.”