Kathleen Turner
“It is important to me that people know they have options so they can get some relief from this debilitating disease,” said Kathleen Turner, a two-time Golden Globe winner for Best Actress and star of such hits as “Body Heat” and “Crimes of Passion,” to USA Today.
Camryn Manheim
Eight months came and went before actress Camryn Manheim knew what was causing her to experience sharp, stabbing pains in her hands. Her first pain came when she was using sign language to sing a song in her child’s classroom.
“I was feeling aches and pains in my hands, which was upsetting to me because I’m a sign-language interpreter — I use my hands all the time,” Manheim told People magazine. “I could hold a pen or a cup of coffee, but it was difficult. I was starting to feel fatigued too.”
Multiple tests later, and Manheim, who’s perhaps best known for her roles on “Ghost Whisperer” and “The Practice” had her answer: rheumatoid arthritis. “When [my doctor] told me it was rheumatoid arthritis I said that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m too young. Well, I learned I was mistaken,” she said.
The diagnosis didn’t stop her, however. Once she knew what was making her hurt, she and her doctor worked out a treatment plan, and today, she’s living a relatively normal life. “You know, the thing is you have to get the proper diagnosis and then you can get the proper treatment,” she said. “Then you can put it behind you and live a full and eventful life.”
Kristy McPherson
A golfer’s swing is a work of pure art. Every joint, ligament, and bone in the body is working to support the rise and fall of the golf club. If even one thing goes wrong, the swing could be a miss.
Perhaps that’s what makes Kristy McPherson’s story so inspiring. The South Carolina native LPGA golfer was diagnosed with RA at age in 11, when she was in the sixth grade.
“It seemed like the end of the world,” she told Golf Digest. “I spent months in bed, unable to walk, with a rash and a swelling in my throat that made it difficult to breathe.”