Nkenge L.
Recently, I found out I was diagnosed with RA. I had been going to doctors before and they told me nothing was wrong with me. So I was sent from my primary doctor to the city’s best children's hospital where they told me I might be diagnosed with RA. From there they told me that there was nothing else they could do for me.
So they sent me to Shands at UF in Gainesville, FL, an hour away from my home. There they told me I was diagnosed with RA and they took great care of me. I had only one problem. The RA affected my right hip so bad that I have to have a total hip replacement. I look forward to going back to my previous activities once the healing is over.
I AM starting my junior year in high school and I AM going to be back marching in the band. I plan on attending the University of Florida and becoming a Crime Scene Investigator.
My family has been so helpful through this process and I couldn’t do it without them. At the beginning of this experience, I experienced severe depression. I watched my friends go out all the time. I sat on the sidelines and watched the band play. I didn’t understand why RA affected me.
But now I feel as if RA is just another obstacle that I will have to face. NOTHING is going to stop me from achieving my goals. RA doesn't control me. I control it.
