The Girl With Arthritis

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is so life-changing. For some, things change rapidly. Some of us suffer for years, feeling the change slowly but surely. But regardless of how it comes, we all mourn. We all deal with change and long for the life we had before. Sometimes, I think that reality is easier to deal with than the "what if's." While I completely accept the condition of my body and what might happen later, it's painful to think of what might've been if I never developed psoriatic arthritis as a child. If I had never developed an autoimmune disease, my bones would still be strong. I would never have to take medications with overpowering side effects. And my parents would never have gone through the heartbreak of having a child suffering in pain. My passion But of all the "what if's," there is one that haunts me daily; what if arthritis prevents me from meeting my full potential as an artist? All the other questions seem meaning...