Recently I had the pleasure of meeting author and writer Gill Carrick. She kindly agreed to write a guest blog for The Arthritis Supermarket, highlighting her own experience with arthritis.
In the interview, Gill talks about her own experience of living with arthritis and her new book 'The Essential Guide to Arthritis'.
"Last year I developed a rare form of inflammatory arthritis. Although I was stiff, and my joints swelled up as expected with this type of arthritis, I didn't have the other typical symptoms of pain and fatigue. In the words of my GP, I was a 'fascinating' case.
Even the rheumatology consultant at my local hospital was pretty baffled about what was going on. His answer was to stick me on immuno-suppressants and send me on my way - more or less.
"Last year I developed a rare form of inflammatory arthritis. Although I was stiff, and my joints swelled up as expected with this type of arthritis, I didn't have the other typical symptoms of pain and fatigue. In the words of my GP, I was a 'fascinating' case.
Even the rheumatology consultant at my local hospital was pretty baffled about what was going on. His answer was to stick me on immuno-suppressants and send me on my way - more or less.
I knew instinctively that I didn't need my immune system suppressed thanks very much, and decided to take charge (with a bit of help from my GP) and manage my condition with some steroid injections and changes to my diet; alongside regular, low-impact exercise. Adopting a relaxed state of mind helped too.
I’ve found a couple of dietary supplements have worked for me. One in particular is LitoZin which I add to my breakfast every morning. It’s pretty tasteless so I don’t notice I’m eating it, which is probably no bad thing. It’s been devised by Danish scientists who discovered it worked for dogs and horses and decided to try it out on humans.
The main ingredients are rosehips (gathered from the island where Hans Christian Andersen was born, no less) with a fatty acid called GOPO. It’s high in Vitamin C which is good and can help control inflammation levels in the body. Arthritis ResearchUK
The main ingredients are rosehips (gathered from the island where Hans Christian Andersen was born, no less) with a fatty acid called GOPO. It’s high in Vitamin C which is good and can help control inflammation levels in the body. Arthritis Research
Other fatty acids which help control inflammation are Omega 3 & 6 which I take in the form of liquid Eskimo 3 Fish Oil Capsules – a fish oil supplement developed by Swedish researchers. (There seems to be a Scandinavian theme to my list of supplements!)
I turns out I had reactive arthritis which is rare, with only 40 cases a year and more common in men. The causes are difficult to pinpoint, admittedly, and range from food poisoning to a virus - sometime's there's no known cause. But the possibility I had had this form of arthritis should have been considered by the experts. As my GP said, the rheumatology department had ‘jumped to conclusions.’
So the moral of this story is to push for the right diagnosis - as quickly as possible – and don’t be fobbed off. Seek a second opinion and if your instinct tells you the doctors might be barking up the wrong tree, tell them. As nicely as possible of course!
I’d love to hear from anyone else who’s had reactive arthritis – I’m sure I’m not unique.... “
Contact Gill via her website http://www.glcarrick-writer.co.uk/id3.html
Thank you so much to Gill for taking the time to talk about her experiences. She’s working on further health books, including one for arthritis in dogs. We’ll keep you posted about that one, and hopefully persuade her to write another guest blog!
Thank you so much to Gill for taking the time to talk about her experiences. She’s working on further health books, including one for arthritis in dogs. We’ll keep you posted about that one, and hopefully persuade her to write another guest blog!
As a writer and author, Gill's book "The Essential Guide to Arthritis" is an easy read which aims to show ALL the options available to those with arthritis, not just the ones your consultant recommends! Gill is an inspirational example that by staying positive, keeping mobile and getting the right treatment, you can manage your condition effectively- and get on with the rest of your life.If you would like to get a copy of Gill's book you can buy it from http://www.need2knowbooks.co.uk/products/Arthritis-the-Essential-Guide.html
