Overachiever

When three different people, who are not related to each other, independently use the same word--"Overachiever"--in a span of five days, then you know the water broke, and you are going to give birth to a blog. The name of the blog baby was already chosen for you. You just have to write it out.

Last Friday we were joking about who has the most number of tennis injuries in our tennis circle. And turns out that my three--right knee, right wrist and left knee--might be at the top, earning me the dubious title of "overachiever" from my funny buddy Mallika. Then on Monday, my chiropractor Kimmy, who has become more of a friend than a physical therapist, used the exact same term when I told her that I have developed a new injury--the wrist--since my last visit in March. Well, two persons saying the same thing can be a coincidence. But three? On Tuesday, my eye doctor, Dr. Rodgin also chose to use the same term when I told him that now he has to do not only the diabetic eye exam, but also has to check for possible signs of inflammation in the eye. 

Yes, seems like the term "overachiever" is trending in my life, and for apt reason too--as my immunity system is apparently on a campaign for overachievement, making excess antibodies. I have very recently been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a form of autoimmune disease that results in joint inflammation caused by an overactive immune system. Nobody knows what triggers it. It can hit people as young as in their 20s or 30s. It is a medical mystery that whoever solves is guaranteed to get a Nobel prize---according to my rheumatologist, Dr. Fischer. There are treatments and I am about to start my medication regime. That certainly is making me feel way more hopeful than when I first received the diagnosis that I have RA, and have to live with it for the rest of my life, as it is a chronic condition.

The journey leading to the diagnosis and post-diagnosis has been "uneven"--to put it lightly. You never know when it hits you.  Going back in time, I now know that I had symptoms since last August. Random pain and niggles moved around in my hands and legs, shoulder and back. I had frequent leg cramps and swelling. I attributed all of it to playing tennis too intensely to counter pandemic-related stress, and of course to the frailty of my middle-aged body. And I have been diligently going through treatment for what we thought was osteoarthritis (the more common type arthritis related to age) under the supervision of my illustrious sports medicine doctor, Dr. Lewis, who was a ranked tennis player herself. With a competent team of orthopedic doctor, physiotherapist and chiropractor (and a few visits to an acupuncturist too), I was confident that I would get better. But it just did not happen. I felt temporary relief periodically, but the knee injuries kept coming back, forcing me to stop playing tennis for a whole month. And then instead of improving, my condition became worse, as acute pain rippled through my whole body. I could barely walk with a badly swollen leg. Started losing clumps of hair.  Sleeping through the night became impossible. Working a full 9-10 hour day became super challenging, as I had to frequently take a break because of fatigue. And the lowest blow was when I could not get up from bed one morning and my hands became almost immobile. I called my primary care physician, Dr. Ademola, and told her that she needed to see me at once. That morning was really something! I had to ask for help from my husband to get up and to dress myself to go to the doctor.

Long story short, X-rays, MRIs and innumerable blood tests conclusively proved that I have rheumatoid arthritis--a disease that not only threatens my most beloved hobby--tennis, but also my livelihood, as I am an intellectual property attorney who has to write a lot every day. Not to mention my love for blogging and being active on the social media, which also involve a lot of typing. Thank God I have at least one hobby---singing---that does not depend on joint health.

Well, there is not much one can do but to accept the reality. I am learning to be kinder to myself, because at one point I was getting angry with my own body for "betraying me". The irony is that we have been taking immunity-boosting supplements to guard against COVID, and now I have to suppress my overactive immunity system by taking medicines!

As always, writing this blog is cathartic for me, and a step forward in the right direction to manage life with RA. I am truly blessed to have the most supportive family, a totally understanding workplace, amazing clients who are motivating me to get better soon because they need my service, and an unbelievable circle of friends and well-wishers, constantly keeping my soul nourished. I found out that ace tennis player Caroline Wozniacki was diagnosed with RA when she was at the top of her game. Reading her blog post about how this "invisible" disease affected her life, but how she has managed to take back control of her life, has truly inspired me. Though she retired from professional tennis, she is aspiring to be a sports commentator to remain attached with tennis.

I think vulnerability and imperfection give the overachievers a chance to reinvent themselves. I am certainly looking forward to reinventing myself. At the very least, RA has given me a perfect "ice breaker" topic of conversation. :-) I am sure there are more yet-undiscovered facets of RA that I will come across--like a treasure hunt. #GamifyRA!