arthritiszone.com

Living with rheumatoid arthritis

By KELLY DONOVAN

Staff Writer

BARSTOW – The notion that arthritis only affects the elderly is incorrect, and Jill Chalkley is living proof of that.

Since she was 26, the native of England has been living with rheumatoid arthritis – a disease that affects the lining of the joints and gets progressively worse.

She was able to maintain somewhat of a normal life initially, although she never had any job after getting the disease, because working in an office wouldn’t have been feasible. She gradually became less physically able over the years.

Now 71, she gets around her mobile home in south Barstow with a walker. She uses a wheelchair when a doctor’s visit or other excursion involves too much walking – like if there is a large parking lot.

She can no longer drive, mainly because of problems she has had with her right leg. Her femur has broken twice, the most recent time in 2003.
Story Photo

“They didn’t know if I’d even learn to walk again,” she said.

Chalkley, who lives alone, also has had to undergo hip surgery three times in the past decade because of the effects of the disease.

As for her arms, she can no longer extend them all the way; her elbows are always somewhat bent.

Chalkley said she is in pain constantly. Different body parts will hurt at different times, and sometimes the pain is all over her body, she said.

“(Rheumatoid arthritis) is a slow torture,” she said.

Stress makes the pain worse, a phenomenon Chalkley experienced after the death of a close friend a year ago.

To manage the pain, Chalkley takes a powerful painkiller three times daily, but only takes a low dosage because she doesn’t like the idea of taking any more.

Still, Chalkley, Barstow resident for nearly 40 years, said she has learned to live with the disease.

“You don’t think of the negative things – you think of the positive things,” she said. “That’s the only way to handle this disease.”

One positive thing, she said, is the new drugs for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that weren’t available when she was first diagnosed with it. Then, there was nothing, she said.

Now, she said a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis isn’t as bad. People getting the disease now have a much better chance of not ending up crippled, she said.

Also, one service she said has been helpful to her is a worker from the county’s Department of Aging and Adult Services who comes to her home to assist with her personal care and housework each weekday.

She also said she enjoys spending time with her family; she has three grown sons.

CONTACT THE WRITER: (760) 256-4122 or kelly_donovan@link.freedom.com