Newly Diagnosed
First, if you have recently been diagnosed with an AiArthritis disease, just know that you are not alone. All organization leaders and many of our volunteers are also affected by these conditions and we are here to help you as you start this journey.
You probably have a lot of questions, like, "Should I start treatments immediately and what kind?" or you may be feeling overwhelmed and just need to find others, like you, who can give some advice or just listen. Let us help you understand your diagnosis, explore treatment options, and connect you with the resources necessary to make informed decisions about your health and well-being. We’re here to guide you through the early stages of your journey, providing the knowledge and support you need to move forward with confidence.
Resources For The Newly Diagnosed
These AiArthritis resources were hand picked by staff and volunteers who are or remember what it's like to be newly diagnosed.
Appointment Prep Guide
Managing a chronic condition like arthritis requires organization and proactivity. We surveyed our community on preparing questions for rheumatologist appointments, revealing valuable strategies to optimize these visits.
Just Diagnosed with an AiArthritis Disease? Here's What Our Community Wants You to Know
Discovering you have AiArthritis can be frightening, but you're not alone. Many have faced this and want to help. Here’s advice from our community for those recently diagnosed.
Discover More Of Our Resources For The Newly Diagnosed
Treatment Options
Goes over some different types of treatment, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. Learn more
Support Tool
This guidance is for family members helping those with AiArthritis diseases. Download and complete it to understand each other's needs.
Learn more
Knowledge = Empowerment Classroom
A patient-designed learning experience to increase the influence of those with AiArthritis diseases on healthcare policy changes. Learn more
Talk Show Episodes For Newly Diagnosed
When patients receive a diagnosis of autoimmune or autoinflammatory arthritis, it can be overwhelming to navigate the abundance of intricate medical information. While it is crucial to consult with healthcare professionals, our AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show—led BY PATIENTS—serves as a valuable resource for individuals who are beginning to understand and manage their condition.
We have selected some episodes we think may help you as you navigate your new diagnosis:
"Who Am I Now?" Finding a New Normal
Receiving a diagnosis of a potentially live-altering chronic illness can throw someone for a loop. At AiArthritis, we know how it feels to go through this! We know it's a lot to take in & it can make you wonder... Who am I now?
AiArthritis Founder & CEO, Tiffany Westrich-Robertson talks about her experience going through this after diagnosis. If this is something you relate to, listen to the Mini Episode of our AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show, or check out the Who Am I Now resource post.
More Episodes of the AiArthritis Voices Talkshow
Ep 48: Support: It's not so simple. Diverse needs for difference experiences
ListenJoin Patrice, Effie, and Rick as they share their experiences with support - which all differ per personal relationships and perspectives. That means there are different needs that we must address to help everyone. What's YOUR story?
Ep 50: Grit, Gratitude, and Grace: How a Positive Mindset Can Improve Pain and Resilience
ListenJoin Tiffany, Deb, and Patrice as they review a session from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2020 conference about pain and the brain/body connection.
Ep 64: The office visit - viewpoints from both the patients AND the rheumies!
ListenJoin Tiffany, Deb, Katie, and Patrice AND Al and Jeff (Dr. Al Kim - Tiffany's own rheumy - and Dr. Jeff Sparks) as they talk about the EULAR session content around communication and office visit needs (patient side and rheumy side).
Ep 65: Young and Invisible
ListenIn this episode, Katie and Deb - both persons living with AiArthritis diseases - discuss being a young person suffering from a chronic illness. This episode discusses the challenges of being "Young and Invisible". From what being a "juveillive" may mean - and the age range that term can cover. To being younger and dealing with being in pain while managing a chronic illness you and your parents/caregivers are still trying to figure out for themselves.
Ep 75: The Whole Picture: Holistic, Personalized Therapy
ListenWe often talk about the importance of Precision Medicine (which involves finding the best pharmacologic treatment for each person’s individual needs), but as we, as patients, identify what works best for our unique needs, we have to consider all options (both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical). Just as with our biologics and other disease modifying treatments - where one works for one person and not the other - we need to think about alternative therapies the same way. For example, just because you “tried diet”, did you try all the diets? We all need to find our own right combination of therapy - but what does that look like to you? In this episode Tiffany, Deb, and Bridget talk about personalized therapy, or complimentary, non-pharmacologic options, that are being researched and added to new recommendations for full disease management.
Ep 85: Disease Elevator Pitches
ListenHave you found yourself struggling to explain your AiArthritis disease to others?
In this episode, our co-hosts Leila, Charis, and Patrice put a new topic on the table: how to explain your AiArthritis disease in a 30-60 second elevator pitch. From your workplace to your personal life, our co-hosts will provide practical tips on how to tailor your elevator pitch to different audiences such as co-workers, family, friends or strangers to help you confidently communicate your AiArthritis and advocate for yourself. Join us in this episode to listen to varying elevator pitches as well as have the opportunity to share your own and continue to help us build patient resources!
Resources For Every Step of The Patient Journey
Disease List
- Disease List: Could you have an AiArthritis disease? Learn more, each disease listed breaks out to its own page.
Early Symptoms Study
- Early Symptoms Study: An investigation into patient-reported symptoms of early disease and onset experiences.
Surgery with an AiArthritis Disease
- Surgery with an AiArthritis Disease: Learn valuable insight about surgery preparation, challenges, and questions to ask your healthcare provider.
OA vs AiArthritis E-Book
- OA vs AiArthritis e-Book: Learn the differences between osteoarthritis and autoimmune or autoinflammatory arthritis diseases
Have more questions? Email us at info@aiarthritis.org
Information For The Newly Diagnosed
Here, you will discover articles designed to assist you throughout every stage of the patient journey. We have carefully chosen these resources to support those who are newly diagnosed.
Discover More Information For The Newly Diagnosed
Share Your Story & Get Involved!
Sometimes the best medicine is diving in to learn more, meeting those who have similar lived experiences, and doing activities that can help to improve your health and the
AiArthritis community!
Share Your Story:
Your story is unique and can potentially help us to help other patients. Let us know what the most difficult part about getting diagnosed was. What would you want fellow patients to know about YOUR AiArthritis disease? Your patient-identified issues can aid us in creating patient-infused solutions.
