I used to pretend to be a horse as a child - and then all night I would have to stretch in bed and place cushions into the small of my back to ease the agony and relieve the “growing pains”.

I walk, enjoy each day as much as possible, and love spending time with my grandchildren. I choose to be positive, not because it makes me better, but because life is worth living

Moving forward as a young adult in the 80’s I managed to complete military training and in hind sight most probably would have been put on light duty if they and I knew I had AS then.

One of the main insights from the rheumatologist was that diet and lifestyle played a big impact on AS

My journey has taken me many places, emotionally and physically. But, it is a part of my life that will never go away. I have accepted this and I will carry on.

I used to pretend to be a horse as a child - and then all night I would have to stretch in bed and place cushions into the small of my back to ease the agony and relieve the “growing pains”.