Robin’s December Dips for Arthritis Ireland

Thank you for clicking on my link! I’ll get straight to the important stuff but feel free to read my story if you have the time

 

What Am I Doing?

 

This year I am doing December Dips. I will get into the water (up to neck level) in a river, lake or sea every day for the 31 days of December. I will follow the winter dipping safety guidelines from Swim Ireland – December is not a month to be a dope, the emergency services are busy enough!

 

If I have to self-isolate or restrict my movements I will follow the public health guidelines (of course!) and stay at home. If this happens I will fill up a large bin with water (and some ice) and jump in!

 

You can follow my progress on my Instagram page (robbiebob_91) where I will post daily stories and fundraising updates. I’ll make my account public for the month so no need to follow me if you don’t already (Seriously!).

 

How Can You Support Me?

 

You can donate; all donations are greatly appreciated and will go directly to Arthritis Ireland to support their great work. My initial goal is €310 (€10 a day on average) but I will increase this if I pass it before the month is over.

 

December can be a difficult time for people financially so if you can’t donate this month but would like to show support you can do any of the following

 

1) Join me in any of my daily dips. I’ll mostly be doing my dips in Castleconnell (World’s End) and O’Briensbridge but I’ll also be venturing around the country at the weekends. Get in touch if you’re interested!

2) Come out to show support even if you don’t fancy getting into the water (no judgement here).

3) Share my fundraising details - I do not have Kardashian levels of reach on social media so all the help I can get is welcome.

4) Donate directly to Arthritis Ireland or any one of their other fundraisers in the new year if this becomes an option for you.

 

My Story

 

I am one of the nearly one million people in Ireland currently living with arthritis. Diagnosed at 19, I have spent the majority of my adult life living with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), an inflammatory disease with no known cure, that primarily causes pain, inflammation, and stiffness in and around the joints. This condition affects around 0.1 - 0.2% of the population and like most diseases, occurs on a spectrum from mild to severe.

 

Nothing has had a more significant impact on my life than my AS diagnosis and I very rarely talk about it but sharing my experience might help others and it may give people some perspective about what it’s like to be an AS sufferer.

 

The onset and development of my disease followed the typical trajectory of severe AS.

 

It started in my left hip (sacroiliac joint), with painful inflammation (sacroiliitis) whenever I extended my leg – this ended my involvement in sports. Within a month the pain and inflammation had spread to both knees (patellar tendonitis) – this made daily activities like picking things up off of the floor and tying my shoelaces a challenge. Next it affected both of my heels (plantar fasciitis) - walking for an extended period of time became an issue. Finally, it reached my right hip (sacroiliitis), and then the burning flares of pain and stiffness started in my neck and my spine (by far the most debilitating, 0/10 would not recommend) – worst in the morning and then improving as the day went on.

 

In just under six months I went from being highly active to barely mobile. By the end I had developed a morning routine for days when it was particularly bad to help me get by: wake up and take one of my prescribed anti-inflammatories and wait for it to kick in – then I could get out of bed; jump into a hot shower for about 5-10 minutes – this helped further ease the pain; finally, go for a quick swim & aqua jog in the UL arena pool – this helped restore some of my mobility. Although I still had a limp, this was enough to let me attend my college classes and get around campus. All of this time I was undiagnosed and terrified about what was happening to me.

 

The average time to diagnosis for AS in Ireland is ~8 years; I was fortunate enough to be diagnosed in just over six months. My treatment, weekly injections inhibiting my inflammatory response (thank you Pfizer), started soon after diagnosis. I was caught so early that there was minimal, if not negligible, damage done to my joints. Most of my symptoms disappeared practically overnight with my new treatment apart for some very tolerable lower back stiffness and the occasional flare up in my neck and lower back.

 

I am now 30 years of age and my AS has never been better! I am more active now than I was as a teenager and my flare ups are rare and very mild.

 

December Dips is my way of raising funds for an organisation that has helped and is continuing to help other people, young and old alike, get diagnosed sooner; get better informed about possible treatments; and get support while living with arthritis.

 

I can still remember my 19-year-old self, standing in a hot shower or swimming in a heated pool completely unaware of what was wrong with me, convinced I wouldn't be able to walk by 20. I am incredibly grateful that, as a 30-year-old, I can wake up every morning knowing that my disease is almost completely under control and I can look forward to getting into very cold water instead!

 

Thank you for reading, thank you for your support, and gwan Munster!!!