My sister Meredith and I recently attended an ambassador reunion in Florida for Vectra DA. While in attendance, I had an epiphany. I have always just considered my sister and I the RA SISTERS, but it is so much more than just the two of us. We created this blog because we never wanted anyone to feel alone on this journey or suffering. My sister and I felt fortunate in a way, because we had each other. Not everyone has a partner in crime when it comes to their disease. 😏 I now realize the term “RA SISTERS” is for ALL women suffering with this disease! We are all RA SISTERS, and we are in this fight together. At the ambassador reunion, I had the privilege of hearing Kelly O’Neill Young present. She is the author of RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS UNMASKED, 10 DANGERS of Rheumatoid Disease, and widely known as the RA WARRIOR. Here is the link to her amazing web page. http://rawarrior.com/ After hearing her speak, I instantly felt connected to her. Everything she said made me feel e
My name is Meredith Boutte. I'm 34, a stay at home mom of a smart 8-year-old boy and have had a wonderful boyfriend for two years. I was first diagnosed about 6 years ago. During that time, I was a full-time student working towards becoming a nurse. I was doing a great job in school. When I first got sick, it took about a year to be diagnosed. There were a lot of doctor visits and a whole lot of throwing fits just so that doctors would listen to me. At one point, I told the doctor that if they did not admit me I was going to hurt myself. It's sad that I had to go through such drastic extremes to get someone to listen to me, but it worked. Soon after the hospital stay I was referred to a rheumatologist. That changed my life forever. At that time the diagnosis was such a relief because I was finally going to get help. I didn’t feel crazy anymore, yet the news put me into a state of depression. The only thing I knew about RA was what I had read and the pict