Chris’ story

I’ve been able to keep myself fit and well and I have hardly had any joint pain for the last ten years.
This was ultimately only possible because I told a clinician what mattered to me; he listened and he was able to help me achieve my goals. Now I can self-manage. I don’t need constant blood tests, appointments or height and weight checks.

I was diagnosed with a form of arthritis in my mid 20s. It was debilitating and changed my life. Before, I would walk to work and home again almost every day, around three miles each way. Now, it was painful to walk and it took me ages to get anywhere. I reached the point where I thought I might have to give up working, I couldn’t lift my arms above my head, I could barely walk, I was constantly exhausted from the effort.

I wasn’t asked what mattered to me but after a year of suffering, I told the rheumatologist what I wanted for my future, how important it was for me to get outdoors, to be able to socialise and that I wanted a wife and family. He realised how badly the condition had affected me mentally as well as physically and suggested a stronger medication. It wasn’t without risks but had the potential to help me have the life I wanted.

I started on the new medication and took it for many years, luckily without negative side effects. It gave me my life back. I met my wife, I was able to walk, to dance, to lead a normal life without limits again. I no longer need the medication, and I do not go to appointments at the clinic.

Everyone wins when you ask, ‘What Matters to You?’