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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is complicated and difficult. It is much more than painful joints and affects every aspect of your life. How do you make family friends and… Well, everyone understand what it’s like to live with RA? My new column for HealthCentral is a letter in which I, on behalf of the community, try to explain what it is like to have RA:

“Dear family and friends,

I have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune disease. It’s not the wear-and-tear type of arthritis you might get with old age. This is different. It affects my whole body and chips away at my well-being. To be honest, I’m still figuring it out myself. One thing I do know is that it will affect not just my life, but also yours. I want to help you understand how it feels to be me. If you know the basics, we have a place to start a conversation.

RA Is a Full-Body Illness

Remember the last time you had the flu? You felt sick and feverish, your body was hurting, and you were so tired that the idea of making a cup of tea or taking a shower was completely overwhelming.

RA makes me feel like that. This illness happens when the immune system malfunctions. Instead of protecting me against infection, it gets confused and attacks tissues and structures in my body. Arthritis in my joints is one of the symptoms, but being an autoimmune disease means it affects my entire body. That’s what makes me feel like I have the flu all the time. Sometimes, it gets better, usually through taking medications, but it’s no guarantee. RA can flare unpredictably, all my symptoms increasing—sometimes a little, sometimes taking over my life. I have figured out a few triggers to the symptoms, but often, there’s no rhyme or reason to why I flare. Often, there is no visible sign of the war inside my body. I need your support.”

Read the rest of the column explaining what it’s like to live with RA on HealthCentral.