Testimonials

‘I don’t think I shall ever feel so desperately disabled again’

‘Having just finished filling in the post-course questionnaire I begin to realise how much I have learned from you in only a few weeks. The experience of meetings others with such a variety of problems is in itself instructive, but the way you have gently guided us into a position where we can take control of our lives is quite remarkable.

I can see that the course has been developed over a very long period of time using iterative feedback from hundreds of thousands of actual people and experts in the field. This comprehensive work along, however, could never reach out so effectively without the structured lesson-plans that you have so effectively delivered to us in the classroom.

Having understood the action plan concept, I don’t think I shall ever be able to slip back into the self-delusion that I am helpless in the face of any problem again.

The simple breathing and visualisation exercises have been effective for me and I have found it possible to really relax my bodily tensions. You should know that I have tried all sorts of meditation and yogic breathing exercises in the past to no avail.

Getting back into gentle but effective exercise has improved my physical health already and I no longer feel so physically feeble and weak. The whole idea that I am able to improve my health by such simple means gives me the self-confidence to say that I don’t think I shall ever feel so desperately disabled again.’

‘Challenging Arthritis was a turning point in my life’

‘I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was sixteen. The first symptoms were painful, hot thumbs, this gradually spread throughout all of my joints. Years of hospital appointments, trial and error with various medications, culminated in my first joint replacement at the age of 39. For many years I was completely in the dark and very frightened about what was happening to my body. Any information for a patient was often very difficult to come by.

In 2003, I saw an advert for a Challenging Arthritis course. This was a turning point in my life. Going on the course enabled me to meet other people who had exactly the same pain and problems that I had been living with for so many years. After the course I was asked to become a training volunteer – I had got so much out of the course that I was very happy to spread the good news and started my training immediately.

The Challenging Arthritis courses are delivered by specially trained volunteers who all have arthritis themselves, therefore they have great empathy with the participants.

The rewards of being a training volunteer are overwhelming, I have witnessed the transformation of men and women who at week one have low self-esteem and are pessimistic about their arthritis, but by week six have become confident self-managers. A lot of the participants become friends and swap tips on how to overcome certain problems.

Challenging Arthritis has given me and those who have attended the courses, a new lease of life. We no longer fear the condition and most of all we are left with the knowledge and information to give us a positive outlook on life.’

‘For the first time I felt I was among people who could really understand’

‘I attended a six-week Challenging Arthritis course in June 2005. I must admit that when I went along to the first meeting I wondered what there could possibly be to talk about for two and a half hours every week for six weeks, thinking it would be a group of people complaining about their aches and pains. How wrong I was.

The course was run by three very inspiring trainers who had arthritis themselves, so they could empathise with us all. The course was very well structured and there was a great rapport between the leaders and participants. Action plans to challenge our arthritis were made each week and this motivated us to try out new suggestions and aims made in class by the following week. There was also an opportunity to discuss our individual situations and to hear how others were coping and managing their arthritis.

I have had rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years and for the first time I felt I was among people who could really understand and empathise with me. When the course ended we decided to keep in touch and continue to support each other. We now meet every eight weeks for lunch or afternoon tea and phone each other in between to swap tips, news and generally cheer each other up. Usually one or two of the lovely, very supportive course leaders come along too. We are a friendly bunch and really look forward to our meetings.

I would recommend the course to anyone given the opportunity or contemplating going on it. It has helped me enormously. Not only have I made some good friends, but I understand so much more about arthritis and how to deal with it.’

'The course was a great success, thanks to the trainers who gave such a professional performance. You organised it perfectly and kept us all on our toes. The other participants were very friendly and comfortable and I enjoyed every minute of it. I am looking forward to the reunion'.

‘I wondered what to expect when I signed on for the course, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. The trainer’s presentation was both exciting and interesting, to say the least. The warmth and friendliness makes us feel part of a family sharing problems, exchanging ideas and views. The whole event was a great success and we look forward to the reunion which is to be organised.’

‘I have recently attended one of your courses. It was very ably run by the trainers. Every session was extremely interesting and informative and I am sorry that it has now ended.’

‘This course has made me much more aware of my condition and how it affects others. Most I already knew but this course put it into perspective. It has helped me to be more tolerant and to be more aware of the help I need and how I can assist my carers. My attitude to life is positive and this has been reinforced by the course. I now have a set time for my regular exercise (minimal though it might be).’

‘The trainers were so supportive and willing to listen. I think this was due to the fact they have chronic conditions themselves – they understood what the participants felt. Everyone really enjoyed it and I personally was sorry that it ended.’

‘My whole body was feeling better’

‘I saw an advertisement for a Challenging Pain workshop in a free local paper. It was ideal for me because I was feeling very down at the time. I am 71 years and have been active all my life, but the pain I was experiencing because of the osteoarthritis in my knee had prevented me from walking far and from doing my usual activities. This had resulted in my putting on weight.

During the workshop we were shown many useful pain management techniques, which were safe and easy to use – and effective. I found the relaxation and breathing exercises very beneficial. The whole workshop helped me a great deal, talking to others who were in the same boat as me, learning how to manage my negativity, deal with stress and to pace myself to prevent tiredness.

Following the workshop I continued at home with many of the exercises from the exercise handout we were given. I found that they were not too strenuous, and many I could do sitting in a chair watching television. I also found that my whole body was feeling better – my health and well-being had improved.

Early this year my GP referred me to a consultant and in June I was admitted to Derriford hospital for a knee replacement operation. The physiotherapist and her colleague were very surprised at my flexibility soon after the operation. I told them that I had been doing exercises I had been shown at the workshop and that these had helped especially to keep the muscles strengthened around the joint. The physiotherapists told me to tell others and also Arthritis Care that this was a first-rate service which could be of benefit to so many people in pain, and many like me who were waiting for joint replacement surgery.

I was allowed home from hospital after only five days. I have a friend who is also waiting for a knee replacement operation and I have told her that she should attend a Challenging Pain workshop when one is available in her area. Thank you, Arthritis Care, for making a difference to my pain and making a difference to my life.'

'An excellent presentation. Being told to treat arthritis as more than just a "pain disease" and to consider the depression, lifestyle inhibition, anger, frustation, that accompanies it was most useful. I feel I can offer more help to people with arthritis after this presentation.'

I feel more connected with other young people.’

'I have had rheumatoid arthritis since the age of 13. Now, at 19, I am currently on a gap year in which I worked in telesales for six months before travelling to New Zealand and Australia. I am beginning a Geography degree at Nottingham University soon. I found the Young People’s Project on the internet, through the Arthritis Care website. I actually approached them as I wanted to share the knowledge I had gained planning my trip to New Zealand and Australia with other young people with arthritis.

So far, I have attended one workshop. Here I got the chance to hear more about what the Young People’s Project does and what volunteering for them entails. I heard other young people talk about their experiences of living with arthritis and learnt more about the medication I am on from rheumatologists . And I did a presentation myself. I met other young people with arthritis, one of whom is taking the same medication as me – we swapped email addresses so we can keep in contact. It was invaluable to have time to chat to them and share experiences as so often having arthritis can cause me to feel isolated from my peers.

Having taken part in the workshop, I feel a lot more positive about my condition as I feel I understand my medication regime and the importance of taking my drugs much better – and I feel more connected with other young people with whom I can share my worries and concerns. It showed me that there is a whole support network out there which I can take advantage of. This has made me feel more empowered and able to push for the care I need.'

‘I understand myself more and therefore don’t get as angry.’

'I’ve known about my arthritis for four years now. I have recently turned 18 and therefore had to go through my last few years of school and college with arthritis. I am hopefully going to university in September to qualify as a primary school teacher.

I have been to two Positive Future Workshops and both of them have helped me so much. I have met the most amazing people and I can honestly say that they have all helped me in understanding my arthritis. The workshops consist of us chatting about our arthritis and trying to put it into perspective, we talk about situations where we get treated differently by friends, family and teachers.

The nice setting makes everyone feel comfortable; we usually do activities during the day like going for a walk, or making pizza and then in the evening play games, which everyone enjoys. I have also been on an activity weekend, where we went sailing with the same people. This was really good because none of us had really been sailing before so we all had to help each other – it was a really good laugh as well.

Before I went on a workshop I hadn’t met anyone else with arthritis – it was amazing to meet people like me. We talked about our experiences and it made me realise that I wasn’t alone. I found that talking about how people see me and how I see my arthritis, helped me to understand it more because the other young people understood every word that I said. It didn’t feel like I was talking a different language.

The arthritis workshops have had a huge impact on my life, because I now feel that I am not my arthritis, my arthritis is only a small part of me. I think that since the workshops I have become a lot more positive about myself because I don’t feel alone anymore, I know there are people that know exactly what I am going through. My family and friends understand me more purely because I understand myself more and therefore don’t get as angry.

The workshops helped me to talk to my friends and explain how I was feeling – they now know that I can’t walk as fast but still want to be included. I am hoping to become an Arthritis Care volunteer because I want to help people as much as they have helped me. My outlook on life is more positive. I don’t let my arthritis stop me. I want more people to understand that young people can get it, and how it affects us.'

‘The workshops have given my son confidence’

'My son was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis when he was nine years old. He is in hospital about three times a year, usually two weeks at a time, for intensive physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. Life was not easy but he is remarkable and just makes the most of the good times and copes bravely with the bad times.

Arthritis Care has helped him greatly, they have given him confidence and he just loves to get away on the workshops with people who are like him and feel like he does. In his words we (his family) cannot understand how he feels.

But the youngsters on the weekends understand him. He always returns from these trips and has had an awesome time. He has also found the pain management that is explained on these weekends very helpful – learning new skills with people who encourage but don’t push the limits. Previously he has been very bad at pacing himself, I feel Arthritis Care have helped a lot with this.

We are so grateful to Arthritis Care. My son is going to train to become a youth volunteer when he turns 18.'

‘These weekends give me time away to be myself’

'I loved going kayaking, it was so much fun. I like water sports so it was great to be able to do this and I really loved meeting all my new friends. It was nice to be away in a really nice place, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere, which is nice because you can just be yourself and forget all your problems. There was so much to do and see, I’d love to go there again, and the rooms were really homely.

I have learnt that I am not alone with my condition, and there are other children who feel the same as me about everything, like school life and home life. I’m not the only person who takes my pain out on my mum, or who finds it hard when school and friends don’t understand my condition.

The weekend has also taught me that things can get better in time, and I am just the same as everyone else. I have the same qualities as everyone else; I’m fun to be around, I’m happy, I’m strong, and I can see I am the same as someone without arthritis. I really had a great time and loved being with my new friends.

These weekends really mean a lot to me as they give me time away to be myself and not worry about what people think about me. Being with people the same as me also means I can talk to them about how I feel about everyday things, and when they say ‘I know how you feel,’ they really do mean it. I hope these weekends carry on so they can help other children like me.'