I'll never forget the day I realized my hands were betraying me.

It was shortly after my 40th birthday.

One morning, as I reached for a cup in my kitchen, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my wrist, up my arm, and into my fingers.

My hands were swollen, stiff, and felt like they were burning.

I wanted to grip the cup tightly and confidently, but my hands seemed to have other plans. As I fumbled, I felt a sharp, shooting pain in my knuckles. I was suddenly aware that my fingers were becoming deformed—bent, with swollen joints.

I felt old, helpless, and anxious.

Now that my hands were in pain, I began to think about the other health issues my grandmother had dealt with.

She had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at a young age, and over the years, the disease had robbed her of her mobility and joy.

I started to panic thinking, “If my hands are already showing signs of arthritis, how long will it be before I end up like my grandmother?”

I knew I needed to see a doctor.

He explained that I was showing all the early signs of rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease.

He stressed that rheumatoid arthritis is more than just joint pain—it is a systemic condition that can affect various parts of the body, including the heart and lungs, and that it was crucial to address it early to prevent further damage.

He and his medical colleagues had been referring to rheumatoid arthritis as “The Silent Killer” for years.

Determined to understand more, I dove deep into the causes and impacts of rheumatoid arthritis. What I discovered was alarming and eye-opening.