Lindsay’s Story
Although Lindsay has struggled since her diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, her positive attitude and support from family and friends have helped her become a Champion of YES!
Lindsay lives in Bismarck, North Dakota, with her husband, two children and two dogs. She is in her second year of teaching fifth grade at Pioneer Elementary. Her aches and pains began in June 2012. She was able to deal with the discomfort until Christmas of that year when she began feeling extreme wrist pain. It was then that she decided to see a doctor and was diagnosed with aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
Lindsay and her rheumatologist began the process of finding a medication that worked for her. During the next few months, she endured pain and immobility. She had a hard time completing simple, everyday tasks. In spring 2013, she began taking Enbrel. The morning after her first shot, she was amazed to feel absolutely no pain. Lindsay became pregnant with her second child that fall and discontinued her injections.
Throughout the course of her pregnancy, Lindsay dealt with tremendous pain and swelling from joint inflammation and had to have fluid drained multiple times from her knee. She started taking Enbrel again following the birth of her son in June 2014, but discovered her body had grown immune to it. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2017 that the infusion she is currently taking began working.
Lindsay loves spending time with her family and friends, and she is no longer limited to the activities she can do.
“Until I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I hardly knew anything about it,” she says. “I joined Walk to Cure Arthritis last year to raise awareness of the disease. I want my story to be heard. Despite what I went through, I persevered. With my positive attitude and the never-ending support from my family and friends, I turned every No RA threw my way into a Yes! I am a Champion of Yes.”
Lindsay and her rheumatologist began the process of finding a medication that worked for her. During the next few months, she endured pain and immobility. She had a hard time completing simple, everyday tasks. In spring 2013, she began taking Enbrel. The morning after her first shot, she was amazed to feel absolutely no pain. Lindsay became pregnant with her second child that fall and discontinued her injections.
Throughout the course of her pregnancy, Lindsay dealt with tremendous pain and swelling from joint inflammation and had to have fluid drained multiple times from her knee. She started taking Enbrel again following the birth of her son in June 2014, but discovered her body had grown immune to it. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2017 that the infusion she is currently taking began working.
Lindsay loves spending time with her family and friends, and she is no longer limited to the activities she can do.
“Until I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I hardly knew anything about it,” she says. “I joined Walk to Cure Arthritis last year to raise awareness of the disease. I want my story to be heard. Despite what I went through, I persevered. With my positive attitude and the never-ending support from my family and friends, I turned every No RA threw my way into a Yes! I am a Champion of Yes.”