The Times (London): I was diagnosed with arthritis at 29. This is how it feels, 2024, Roisin Kelly

I was diagnosed with arthritis at 29. This is how it feels
Roisin Kelly

It all started with a swollen knee last March. It had been aching for a few days and one evening after a work event it became so sore that I couldn’t face the Tube home. I was 29, physically fit, with a strict (and intense) exercise routine, but I’d had a hectic few weeks. As I swung my legs out of the taxi I felt a sharp pain — my right knee was swollen, puffy and hot to touch. I’ve just overdone it a bit, I told myself. No need to panic.

Within a few days, I was panicking. I’d tried everything — ibuprofen, Deep Heat and ice packs — but my knee had ballooned. Stairs were an excruciating task and exercise was out of the question.

After a GP appointment and referral to hospital, I was sent for a series of blood tests, steroid injections, x-rays and an MRI. A month later, I got the diagnosis: rheumatoid arthritis.
I was shocked. I’d always associated arthritis with elderly people, not women in their twenties.

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