Mum battled with rheumatoid arthritis for 25 years. It affected all of her joints. She had two knee replacement operations, and an operation to fuse vertebrae in her spine to protect her spinal cord. The arthritis distorted  the bones in her fingers and this, along with a tremor, meant she found it difficult even to enjoy a cup of tea. The steroids she had to take to relieve the intense pain she was in made her skin thin and made her vulnerable to ulcers on her legs, for which she had to wear surgical stockings. Her veins collapsed which meant health professionals had great difficulty getting blood for the regular testing she needed for blood viscosity (she was also on Warfarin). One of  the regular medications she took led to a bleeding ulcer 6 years ago, from which we nearly lost her. Mum was in pain for many years. Arthritis is a vicious illness, which destroys the quality of life of so many people. My mum battled bravely for so many years, taking comfort from her family. I believe she would still be alive today if it wasn't for this horrible illness.