Galway Advertiser 2006/2006_07_27/GA_2707_E1_016.pdf 

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Galway Advertiser

July 27 2006

NEWS

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FASHION

BEAUTY

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H E A LT H

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LIFE

MARY
Tina Waldron a mother of three from Galway, has rheumatoid arthritis. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis three months after the birth of her first child at the age of 21. Tina had previously complained to her GP of stiffness and pain in her hands and feet and after a blood test it was confirmed that she had RA. "I had never heard about rheumatoid. I had only heard of arthritis and my instant reaction was that this was an older person's disease," explains Tina. RA is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. While RA is a chronic illness, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience long periods without symptoms. Typically, however, RA is a progressive illness that has the potential to cause joint destruction and functional disability. Tina admits that she was in denial about having RA and she tried to continue her life in as normal a way as possible. However the disease can cause, pain making it difficult to carry out even the simplest of tasks, "even walking was an endurance test, I was travelling at snail's pace. Everything became increasingly harder and the disease got more aggressive and played havoc on my body." As time passed more of Tina's family and friends became aware that she had RA, their reactions were mixed with many feeling that arthritis was a disease that only older people got. As a young new mother she found herself overwhelmed at this frustrating and distressing situation. Tina turned to her GP who guided her towards medication that would help her situation. "RA cannot be cured, it can be controlled and managed. My GP and rheumatologist gave me the greatest care and attention which has now given me back my life." For the last four years Tina has received an infusion in Merlin Park Hospital every eight weeks. Tina feels that she has really benefited from this treatment and is grateful for all the support and care she is given by staff and other patients who travel to the hospital for RA treatment. "Attending Merlin Park is great because the staff are wonderful, they monitor their patients with great detail and follow through care. I meet other patients and now really look forward to my visits and meeting my new friends. They travel from all over Ireland to receive this treatment." Last summer Tina entered a competition organised by Arthritis Ireland. People with RA were encouraged to write about themselves or send in a picture capturing a moment in their lives. The winners of the competition would be part of a calendar and would get the chance to have their photograph taken by famous Irish photographer John Minihan, who would be best known for his work with Samuel Beckett. Tina was thrilled to discover that she was one of the finalists, "I was thrilled. The excitement of having this amazing man call to my house and photograph my family and I made it worth while having RA." At 33 Tina has become Ms February for the calendar. "It has opened me to opportunities that I never knew were possible for someone with RA," adds Tina. Life is good for Tina at the moment. She has been in remission for years and in less than three weeks time she will be taking a different type of walk. "I'll be walking up the aisle to stand beside my husband to be Ken, and a few days after that we are all heading to Australia on our honeymoon."

O'CONNOR
Tina Waldron with her youngest child Aoife, pictures taken by John Minihan

Arthritis Ireland photography exhibition by John Minihan to feature Galway woman

"Attending Merlin Park is great because the staff are wonderful, they monitor their patients with great detail and follow through care. I meet other patients and now really look forward to my visits and meeting my new friends"

Exhibition in Merlin Park until August 18
RA in Focus, an exhibition organised by Arthritis Ireland is taking place in Merlin Park Hospital until Friday August 18. The exhibition depicts the lives of 12 people living with Rheumatoid Arthritis in their own words and through John Minihan's elegant photography. The exhibition was launched in 2005 in order to raise awareness of RA. People with RA and their families were invited to send in pictures and words describing their lives with RA. Twelve finalists were chosen to have their portrait taken by photographer John Minihan who is probably most famous for his pictures of Samuel Beckett. The photographs have already been featured in Arthritis Ireland's 2006 calendar and are now part of a national exhibition which has just opened in Merlin Park Hospital. Galway woman Tina Waldron is one of the twelve people to have been chosen to feature in the exhibition. She was diagnosed with RA at the age of 21 and describes the disease as a "bitter and destroying disease that causes joints to become abnormal and distorted." The west of Ireland has been identified in the recent Comhairle na nOspideal as having the most poorly resourced rheumatology services in the country. Each month of the calendar includes a tear off postcard to Minister of Health, Mary Harney and bears the message "more rheumatologists please..."