Being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis was a shock for Mary Vella. However, her condition did not keep her from moving on in life and has given her courage to help others.

Mary Vella was 49 years old when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

“It all started with a tingling in my feet, followed by stiffness,” she recalls. Having a nursing background, she was familiar with the signs and symptoms of arthritis and she immediately contacted her family doctor, who in turn referred her to a rheumatologist.

“I did some blood tests and the results were positive: I had developed rheumatoid arthritis.”

For Vella, who is currently president of the Arthritis and Rheumatism Association Malta, this was a shock.

“I couldn’t accept it,” she says. “I was caring for a family of five, running a part-time beauty business, and committed to voluntary work in my parish. I couldn’t afford to stand still,” she says.

Vella was put on anti-inflammatory and prednisone drugs but within a month, she was stiff and was suffering pain all over her body, especially in her hands and knees.

“I was in agony,” she says. “Even the simplest things like walking or having a shower gave me great pain. I had to depend on others and, as a very independent woman, that was very hard to accept.

“But when you face pain and illness, being humble is the first lesson you have to learn.

“After about three months, I was in less pain and I started to feel better every day. This gave me courage because it meant that I was responding well to my medical treatment.”

Encouraged by her improvement, Vella decided to read for a degree in Religious Studies at the University of Malta. Then three years later, she suffered another flare-up.

The timing couldn’t have been worse as Vella had just won a scholarship in Augustinian studies in Rome and was all set to leave in a month.

“I didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity, and yet the pain was holding me back. My consultant encouraged me and together, we fought our way to recovery. Eventually, I left for my scholarship, even though I had to walk using crutches.”

On her return from Rome, Vella successfully sat for her finals.

When you face pain and illness, being humble is the first lesson you have to learn

“However, my condition did not improve. My blood tests showed that my inflammation was still very high. I started to get stiff again. This time both my ankles and my knees were affected as well the small joints of my hands. This went on for almost six months without any or just a little improvement.

“I could only pray to God and rely on the expertise of my doctors,” she says. “My consultant changed my medications but there was little progress. At the time, we were preparing for my eldest son’s wedding. Despite the pain and with a lot of cooperation, we managed all the preparations. However, the pain was still there. On the day of the wedding, I was so stiff that I couldn’t even tie my shoelaces.”

Vella’s medications were changed to biologic injections.

“On the next day following my new treatment, I immediately felt better,” Vella says. “It was like a miracle. The fact that my body was responding well to the new treatment gave me such courage.”

Since then, Vella has been self-administering biologic injections once a week and her health has improved considerably. She has resumed most of her voluntary work in her parish and has successfully read for a Master Degree in Theology.

Eager to help others who suffer from arthritis, she joined the Arthritis and Rheumatism Association Malta and is now president of the non-profit organisation.

ARAM was founded in 2007 by Prof. Carmel Mallia, Doris Aquilina and Carlo Calleja with the main aim of increasing awareness how rheumatoid arthritis patients can take care of themselves to live a better, healthy and normal life. ARAM’s honorary president is Prof. Mallia, who was also instrumental in establishing the specialisation clinic in rheumatology first at St Luke’s Hospital and now at Mater Dei. Today, the association has a committee of seven and some 300 members.

“We work very hard locally and also as a member of the European League Against Rheumatism, an organisation which represents the patient, health professional and scientific societies of rheumatology in Europe. We are also members of Agora, a platform of organisations of people with rheumatic diseases in southern Europe,” Vella says.

“Some 50,000 people in Malta suffer from some form of arthritis and we try and help them as much as we can,” she says. “Every month we give educational talks and organise road shows to raise awareness about the condition. A local hotel also offers us the services of a pool and an instructor at reduced rates, and every month we organise pool sessions for members.

“We are also working with the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Directorate to organise walks especially tailored for our condition. The highlight of the year is World Arthritis Day, which is celebrated every October all over Europe.”

For Vella, the disease is not the end of a journey.

“Yes, the disease is for life. It’s a physical, psychological and emotional battle. Moreover, you need great support from health professionals and from family and friends. But with courage and hope, you can survive.”

• For more information visit www.aramalta.com.

Arthritis myths

Despite striking more than 175 million people worldwide, arthritis is often a misunderstood disease with various myths surrounding it.

Myth 1: Arthritis is just pain associated with getting older.

Truth: Arthritis is a complex family of musculoskeletal disorders consisting of more than 100 different diseases or conditions.

Arthritis can take many forms. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and is a progressive degenerative joint disease characterised by the breakdown of joint cartilage. Another common form is rheumatoid arthritis, which is a systematic disease characterised by the inflammation of the membranes lining the joint. This causes pain, stiffness, swelling and, sometimes, severe joint damage.

Arthritis is not just a disease of old age. It is estimated that worldwide, two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65. It can also affect children and young adults.

Myth 2: Arthritis is not a serious health problem.

Truth: The prevalence of any form of arthritis varies but is commonly around 10 per cent in developed countries. The prevalence of rheu-matoid arthritis varies between 0.3 and one per cent. Within 10 years of onset, at least 50 per cent of patients in developed countries are unable to hold down a full-time job.

Myth 3: People with arthritis should limit physical exercise.

Truth: Exercise is a valuable tool in the fight against arthritis. There is strong evidence that both endurance and resistance types of exercise provide considerable benefits for people with arthritis. Weight management and a healthy diet also play an important role.