This is my first blog post

Welcome to my blog! This has been several years in the making, but the day has finally arrived. For those of you that don't know me, check out the "About Meg" page. I have lived with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the joints, for almost a decade. 

What is an autoimmune disease?

What does it feel like?

What can I do to support a loved one who has a chronic illness?

All of these questions and more will be discussed on this blog. The story of how this website came about is much simpler than the "My RA Story" page. When I was first diagnosed, I knew nothing about any sort of diseases. I legitimately thought arthritis only happened to people who were older than young adults. No one I knew personally had RA, and I hated all of the conversations I had about it. I refused to talk about what I was going through because I felt no one understood. I pretended I was fine all the time to avoid being that girl who was constantly complaining or putting burdens on other people. So, what did I do? I searched the internet.

I quickly found that all of the information about it could be described in one word: depressing. I didn't like looking at diagrams of deformed joints or information on getting joint replacements. I tried to find uplifting personal stories about it, but the blogs and other websites that I came across focused on so many negative aspects of the disease. Reading the stories made me feel worse. My solution was to not tell anyone I was sick and to just deal with everything on my own.

A few years later, I came across an arthritis walk happening near me. My grandmother was very ill, and I discussed the walk with her in her hospital room. I made the decision to make a team for the walk the day she passed away, despite the walk being just over a month away. I fully thought it might just be me walking that day, but I still reached out to some of my closest friends and family to walk with me. I made a fundraising page where I shared my story for the very first time- on the internet for anyone to see. Nervously I clicked the "post" button, unsure of how the world was going to react. Would I regret sharing my personal journey?

What happened surpassed any of my expectations. Here is some of team Meg's Legs-

These people that you see (and more that were not pictured) all came at a moment's notice from near and far to support me. Friends and family reached out and couldn't believe they had no idea I had RA. People I had never met commented on my fundraising page and suggested I start a blog to help others. Negative reactions I fully expected never happened; instead, there was only love and positivity. For the first time, I truly felt in a good place about my illness- all because of the support I received.

What is the point of this blog post?

All of us are facing difficult situations every single day. Everyone has different battles they are fighting. It is ok to ask for help. It is ok to lean on the people that you love, even if they cannot relate at all to what you are going through. No one should have to feel isolated in the darkest of times. Admitting you are struggling, or looking for some empathy or conversation, is not a sign of weakness.

My goal with this blog is to focus on my life with a chronic illness- the good, the not so good, and what has worked for me. My hope is that you will gain some information and inspiration from this website. Thank you to everyone that has supported me along the way; you mean more to me than you could ever know. I am forever grateful for all of the amazing people I have the privilege of knowing. For those I have yet to meet, I very much look forward to meeting you. Let's embark on this journey together.

Let's do this,

Meghan