Kat Elton’s RA both inspired her to become an occupational therapist and forced her to quit. Here’s how she embraced a job she’s better able to manage with her disease.When her rheumatoid arthritis forced Kat Elton, 52, to quit the work she loved, she found a new calling. Here’s her story.
It’s not so surprising when you consider that I’ve been seeing physical therapists and occupational therapists for as long as I can remember. I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, when I was just two years old, which means I don’t remember a time when the struggles that come along with an RA diagnosisa part of my life.
But like most people with this chronic condition, the medication that had helped me get into remission stopped working as effectively. Over time, my symptoms started to creep back with a vengeance. I’m talking about extreme swelling in my joints, to the point where it looked like there were two grapefruits under my skin where my knee bones should’ve been. And along with debilitating pain came extreme fatigue—a combination that didn’t exactly make my hands-on job easy.
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