I never thought I would be someone dealing with health issues early on in my life. I have always been active. I grew up playing multiple sports. I was a starting soccer player all four years in high school. I even played in college. So when I got that phone call, a couple of days after I got blood work done, I never actually expected to be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis?

I questioned if I heard my longtime family doctor correctly. Arthritis is…well, it's an old person's disease. That's usually what someone says after I tell them what's causing my limp or that I need for assistance that day. If someone asks I just don't go into detail about my diagnosis, as it's either brushed over or taken to the other extreme, and they look at me as if I'm incapable all of a sudden.

But, yeah arthritis. An old person's disease. To make things easier to understand, Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. That basically just means my body is working against itself, specifically targeting my joints. It makes bending my legs or wrists, walking long periods of time, or gripping things with my swollen fingers very taxing. That doesn't sound all that bad, but when you start to break down your everyday routine, you realize that almost everything you do before even walking out of your front door in the morning is challenged by these stupid joints that just don't want to work with you.

It becomes comical at times, especially when I think about how long it takes to put on pants.

You would think I'd learn not to buy more skinny jeans, but I think I hang onto the thought that maybe my knees won't be as swollen tomorrow. That never happens.

I never thought about how much this diagnosis could affect everyday decisions and even lifelong ones. As a college student, I have the choice to wear shorts to class and comfortable athletic shoes, but I know eventually when I start a full-time job I will have to start my day by putting on clothes and shoes that are hard to get on and wear throughout the day. That's small and I can get over that, but I also have to think about what I want to do as a career now. I used to want to be a police officer, so I could work my way up to being an investigator. I know there's no way, at least in the state I'm in right now, that I would be able to pass any physical exam or work day-to-day as a police officer on the streets. And let me tell you, a BS in Criminal Justice makes my pool of candidacy quite small.

Oh, and don't get me started on the statistics of depression for people who not only have RA but other autoimmune diseases.

Now, I don't want this to be a "poor me" post. I still am able to live a normal life, and I am very blessed that I don't have a life-threatening disease that many people face every day. I know things can always be worse, but I did want to write about how living with RA in my early twenties has affected my life, as I'm sure there are many people out there who can relate. I wanted to explain that even with all of these issues, and there's plenty more where those came from.

I choose to live every day purposely, and that doesn't mean I haven't had or have bad days, but it does mean I'm trying.

I'm trying to strive to wake up every day and not think about how this disease can hinder me but instead think about what I can do for my future and for others like me. I'm trying to think about the positives in this situation. One positive I've come up with is that I think I can park in the handicap spots now (I haven't looked into it, but I'm pretty positive about it).

Yes, I and many others can dwell on whatever it is that challenges us on a daily basis, but this life is long and all too short at the same time, so why waste it complaining about something we can't even change anyways?

Find a purpose and make today everything you want tomorrow to be.