Kelseys Story

Rheumatiod Arthritis & Ankylosing Spondylitis

Hi! i’m kelsey. i’m a teenager living with chronic illness, and this is my story.

I live with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing spondylitis. Here is what I would love to share. I’m no stranger to severe joint pain, chest pain, and stomach pain. The ER doctors and nurses have become very familiar with me. Diagnosed shortly after my sixteenth birthday with RA. A spell of passing out, with my limbs locking up lead to a hospitalization. Learning my immune system was attacking other parts of my body. This lead to a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis. I live with chronic pain, mostly affecting my hips and neck. Brain fog, weakness, fatigue. The list goes on. I’m sharing my story so others feel less alone, and awareness to illnesses affecting other, that often goes untreated. I take Methotrexate, essentially a chemo pill to slow down my progression. It takes its toll, but I am learning to live with this and enjoy my life through it all!