Judy Noerling, 46

I didn't start walking until I was two years old.  At this point, mom had to take me to several doctors because I was limping.  I required special shoes to walk properly.  My knees were swollen most of the time and as a child I remember being in a great deal of pain and not sleeping well.  My parents would find me in the middle of the day sleeping in the sun.  I always had to be warm or my knees would ache.  My grandma would rub my legs at night so I could go to sleep.  Some nights I would just cry myself to sleep.  We lived at the beach during the summer months and I spent a great deal of time in the water and riding my bike.  No matter how much pain I was in, I just kept going.  I handled my pain by daydreaming or reading, which I did a lot of as a child.  I was thin because I never felt like eating and spent ten hours per day sleeping.  Mom was constantly taking me to doctors.  Every one of them told mom it was growing pains and it would go away.

About the age of 16, I had gained about 25 pounds and was in a lot of pain.  My knees were back to being swollen and aching continuously.  We went to three more doctors.  One said it was my imagination, one said it was because one leg was longer than the other and the third finally diagnosed me with arthritis.  My blood sedimentation rate was 40 and I was put on large dosages of Motrin to decrease the swelling and pain.  The doctor suggested getting the weight off, so I went on a diet, lost about 40 pounds and the pain went away.  I also combined the dieting with exercise.  More bicycling and tennis and weight-bearing exercises.  The swelling and pain disappeared and I stopped taking any medications.  

At the age of 22, I started working part-time at a health club and participated in aerobic exercise classes approximately six times per week.  I also continued to play tennis year- round at the health club.  At the age of 34, I started teaching kickboxing, water classes, cycling and step classes.  I taught approximately 14 classes per week.  

After giving birth to my son at the age of 29, the arthritis started spreading to other joints (elbows and ankles).  I only started taking medication at the age of 40 when I was finding myself with nausea, stiffness (finding it hard to get out of bed) and general fatigue.  At the age of 42, I finally went to the doctor for some help after falling, breaking both wrists and not being able to use my right-hand to write anymore.  I've never been one to take medications, since most of them make me sick.  I finally started taking ten 2.5 milligrams of Methotrexate.

At the age of 43, Dr. Sarah Clarkson finally diagnosed me with two types of arthritis, RA and osteoarthritis.  The RA is in complete remission, but sometimes the osteoarthritis bothers my feet, elbows and wrists.  Usually when I have overdone an activity.    

At the age of 46, I am now taking three 2.5 Methotrexate tablets per week.  
I have realized that when I don't exercise at least every other day that my joints start to ache.  I've also been very careful about what I eat (no processed foods and very low sodium).  I eat fruits, vegetables, fish, dairy products and an occasional bagel.  My body is 17 percent fat, and I continue to teach about eight exercise classes per week while working a full-time job as well.  I have continued to keep the 40 pounds off that I lost in my early 20's.  Also, keeping the muscles surrounding the joints helps keep the joints strong.  Eliminating stress from my life and sleeping eight hours every night have helped.    It's a dedication to diet and exercise that a lot of people do not have.  Some people get so depressed and overcome by the pain that they stop moving and it's the worst thing anyone can do.  By teaching exercise classes I'm forced to exercise even if I just don't feel like it.

I have inspired people with Lupus, MS, and arthritis to start exercising and to keep it up.  Some folks find it difficult to believe that I have arthritis, especially the members at the YMCA who come to my classes.  I hope to continue to help others with this disease. 

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