‘I love my life - the arthritis is just part of it’

COURAGEOUS Anna Nolan was smiling through her pain yesterday.

Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of two, the Dundalk woman never let it beat her. “I’m over the worst part at the moment, the fevers and all that,” the 22-year-old said.

An estimated 40,000 Irish people have the condition, typified by ongoing pain and difficulties with mobility. “Right now, I’m unable to work or anything like that until I can get my body back to strength.”

After six years of respite, she is going through her first flare-up. “It’s so painful, sleepless nights, not able to walk, carry, hold or lift things and excruciating pain in all the joints.”

To mark World Arthritis Day yesterday, Anna attended the launch of Arthritis Ireland’s 2006 calendar which features herself and 11 other RA sufferers. Their photographs were taken by John Minihan, acclaimed for his portraits of Samuel Beckett, Andy Warhol and Princess Diana.

Mr Minihan, who travelled around the country to take the photographs, said he was both humbled and inspired by the resilience of the RA sufferers he met.

Anna recently bought a scooter because she is unable to walk. She expects to enter hospital before Christmas for hip-replacement surgery. The second hip replacement should follow six months later. Then she intends to head back to America for four years of study. “I want to do social work. I would love to work with young people who have arthritis. I’m just going through a flare-up at the moment; that’s why I haven’t started school yet, I am putting it on hold. I’m going to get my hips replaced. So school has to wait until the surgery is over.”

As part of her ongoing medication, she injects herself every week. But Anna’s optimism never dims: “I love my life - the arthritis is just part of it and I’ve grown to accept it. I’m a very happy person. No matter what type of pain I’m going through I know God has helped me through it all.”

Arthritis Ireland CEO John Church said RA can have a devastating impact on sufferers’ lives. “Almost one-third who develop the condition will have had to stop work within two years due to ongoing pain and difficulties with mobility.”

It was vital the condition be identified as early as possible because new treatments can delay its progress. “But because Ireland has the lowest number of consultant rheumatologists per head of population in Europe those with RA can suffer on waiting lists for up to four years as their condition worsens irreversibly,” he warned.