Kerry writer helps raise awareness of arthritis

A Kerry writer and geologist is sharing her personal story in a short film to raise awareness of a form of inflammatory arthritis that can take up to eight years to diagnose in Ireland.

Sneem-based novelist Amanda Geard (38) is supporting ‘Back in Action’, the new campaign from Arthritis Ireland, which aims to make people more aware of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS).

The condition mainly affects the spine, but can also cause pain and/or swelling in the shoulders, hips, knees, heels, chest/ribs and small joints of the hands and feet. While back pain is very common in the general population, only a small percentage of people will have inflammatory arthritis of the spine.

Originally from Tasmania, but living in Kerry for several years, Geard was 19 when her symptoms began. What started out feeling like a pulled muscle intensified to the point where she felt there was a knife stabbing into her lower back.

“When every single minute of every day is spent in pain you do let a condition like this define you,” she said.

While diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in Australia, she lived with chronic debilitating pain for 15 years before she finally found an effective treatment plan for managing her symptoms. Having moved to Ireland a number of years ago, she was referred to a consultant rheumatologist, which altered everything.

“It’s always a surprise every morning you wake up and you can get straight out of bed. My pain has decreased to the point that I could go for a run in the morning if I wanted to. That was completely unheard of for a decade and a half.”

It’s not being more active that Geard has noticed but a difference in her quality of life. “By decreasing your pain, you can also at times be a little less mobile, so you are able to sit at a computer without the pain in your pelvis consuming your mind rather than what’s there in front of you.”

She has put that new freedom to good use in writing her first novel, which is due to be published next spring.

Support and information for people living with Ankylosing Spondylitis is available on the Arthritis Ireland website, www.arthritisireland.ieand via their helpline, 0818 252 846.