happy thanksgiving 2017

Community Spotlight: What Are You Grateful for This Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is a time where many of us reflect upon the things in our lives that we feel most grateful for. While having arthritis can be difficult physically and emotionally, we asked our community to come up with some of the reasons they can count their blessings this year. Here are some of our favorite responses!

Family & Friends

“I am thankful for my husband and family. They help me as much as they can. I have server rheumatoid arthritis and am some what independent and when I need help they drop what they are doing to help me. I’m also thankful for the arthritis support groups to talk to others with similar conditions.”

“I am thankful for my family for their support. Having been diagnosed with RA 50 years ago, I am independent and self sufficient, able to live alone.”

“Family and great friends, also health.”

“My new little grandson.”

Positivity

“I’m thankful for the positive attitude and will power God has given me to want to be productive and not let life pass me by just because I’ve had arthritis since I was 2!”

“I’m thankful everyday for my family, health and work, and because the Astros won!!!! (I’m from Houston)”

Short But Powerful

“Remissions.”

“Everyday I can walk.”

“For being alive.”

Great Healthcare

“I have osteoarthritis that is progressing quickly but I am most grateful this year for the 3D mammogram that found my breast cancer last December. I am now cancer free after surgery and chemo.”

“I am thankful to live in a country where I have access to medications that help me manage my RA and a good support system through my family and my employer. I am thankful every day to be able to get up and go to work and help support my family. I am also thankful for my youngest daughter who at 13 is being evaluated for JRA. Her positive attitude and encouragement helps me fight harder to help others with RA – both young and old!”

Helping Others & Support Groups

“I am thankful that I get to help others with arthritis. As a person with Rheumatoid Arthritis, it took me a lot of years to come to terms with the differences between the “old me” and the “new me.” After going through all the different stages to acceptance, I found my path. My path is helping with the Jingle Bell Run in any capacity (from participating to being an honoree to being on the committee). I’m thankful that along my path I became a Network Support Leader with Arthritis Introspective. I am thankful that I get to be there for others and help them through their situations.”

“I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given more than 10 years ago to be a part of a group of friends with the desire to start an organization to provide the much needed support and connection of others with Arthritis. That organization was Arthritis Introspective-AI. And now it is part one of the Arthritis Foundation’s resources and our community’s much needed space for others across the US to meet, be social, learn and grow with others that look like and understand what we need. I am thankful that our Support Networks continue to grow abundantly across the US. And that as a Founding Board member and now Support Network Leader I have been able to help so many including myself.”

“I am thankful for social media sites using arthritis awareness as a support/advocacy network for people all over the U.S and more.”

“I have OA and RA. I am thankful that each and every morning I can make it out of bed without too much pain and that I can live a productive life. Having this disease has made me more aware of other people’s struggles with Arthritis and other diseases. I am thankful that being involved with the Arthritis Foundation and being an Arthritis Introspective Network Support Group Leader has lead me to discover a passion for finding a cure, raising funds, and bringing awareness to our disease. I am thankful that over this past year I have met so many wonderful people who have this same passion. Without their support and encouragement, I wouldn’t have the drive and motivation to go on living with Arthritis that I have now, as I have no support from my family. I am thankful that my RA is not progressing at a rapid rate and that I can still enjoy my life. I am thankful that I live in an era where modern medicine is available to help Arthritis patients and that one day we will find a cure.”

“I am thankful for my family and my Arthritis introspective family and their support becoming a Arthritis support group leader, best thing ever.”

Thank you to all who responded! Tell us why you’re grateful this Thanksgiving – we’d love to hear from you!

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One thought on “Community Spotlight: What Are You Grateful for This Thanksgiving?

  1. I am grateful that my 16 year old son with juvenile idiopathic arthritis was able to be the QB of the winning team in the turkey bowl on Thanksgiving, practiced soccer with his team for 2 hours on Friday, and played in two soccer matches on Saturday and Sunday. He complained of knee pain this weekend l but he did not let that stop him. I am thankful for the life lessons that he has taught me, to never give up and keep moving forward no matter what.

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