Ankylosing Spondylitis

Hi Sisters,

I’m a 37 year old woman. I have 2 beautiful children aged 2 & 3. I have a wonderful, doting and supportive husband. I also started my first full-time job this week after 4 years of night work.

I have been dealing with increasingly debilitating back pain for over 5 months now. I’ve been told it was everything from Anxiety, to PMS, completely gaslit by the medical community in my small regional town. I kept getting scripts of strong opioids and told to see my GP (who refused to do further investigative testing)

We have recently relocated to a larger town and have found a supportive GP who believed me, and was mortified at the dismissive attitude I’d previously dealt with. She ordered a barrage of tests, and I’ve now received an answer. It is more likely than not, that I have Ankylosing Spondylitis. My thoracic spine has started fusing together, and my cervical and thoracic spine is littered with bony overgrowths. I couldn’t even finish a full week at work, having to leave early on Friday due to the severity of my pain.

I can’t find much support, and I’m waiting to see a Rheumatologist to begin treatment and to assess what severity I’m dealing with. I was hoping someone else can give me some hope or advice, my mental health is at an all time low, and I really don’t know what else to expect.