By Annette Campbell
Julie Pike is, unfortunately, well qualified to talk about living with the pain of arthritis. First diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at only 13, the 36-year-old mother of two and part-time primary school teacher from Adelaide has come to terms with the condition and is living the healthiest life she can.
“It’s a day-to-day thing and I struggle sometimes with two young children,” she says. “But today I feel pretty good. Life with arthritis is painful and not always easy, but it’s not the end of the world.”
When Julie first learned she had rheumatoid arthritis, she and her specialist were hopeful it was something she’d grow out of. “I had pain all the time, in all my joints,” she says. “Sometimes it was a dull, nagging ache, other times it was intense pain.”
It seemed their wish was granted when Julie was in remission from the age of 20 to 30. “During that time I was very active and played netball, indoor cricket, I swam and ran. I thought it had gone forever.”
But at the age of 30, following a period of illness due to a virus, the pain she knew so well returned. “I woke up one morning and my whole body was aching,” she recalls. “At first I thought maybe it was the flu, but as the day went on, I knew it had come back. Only 48 hours later I could barely walk. So I went back to my specialist and back onto medication.”
However, when the time came that Julie and her husband Martin, 38, wanted to start a family, Julie decided to explore more holistic ways of controlling her pain.
“I went to a naturopath and did a major detox — no yeast or sugar for six weeks,” she says. “This allowed me to ease off the medication. We have two gorgeous girls now — Madeline, four, and Ruby, one — and I chose to be on no medication while pregnant with both of them because, despite doctors’ reassurances, I was worried about any possible side effects.”
Julie also now runs a playgroup for parents with arthritis. “A few of us started it about three years ago,” she says. “The kids have a wonderful time playing, while we share the highs and lows and difficulties of our situation.” She also swims a few times a week to keep her weight down and increase joint mobility.
“I believe it’s important to keep healthy,” Julie says. “And the arthritis motto is ‘use it or lose it’!”
Arthritis Australia operates a free national telephone information service. The number is 1800 011 041. Or visit their website: www.arthritisaustralia.com.au
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