‘I am tired of living in pain’: Woman with PMOS struggles to access specialist care

Afna Shanavas, now 26, was diagnosed with arthritis after a decade of unexplained pain dismissed as stress. As a teenager, she constantly complained of exhaustion and pain while writing during exams. Despite numerous visits to specialists, her symptoms were frequently attributed to stress or overexertion, and she was only given painkillers.

Ms Shanavas, a psychologist, was even referred to a psychiatrist as her symptoms were thought to be psychosomatic. Her condition escalated to a point where she was admitted to the hospital for a severe neck seizure at 17, which doctors later ruled out being a stroke. Finally, a minor cut that wouldn't heal led to a rheumatology test that confirmed her diagnosis of inflammatory polyarthropathy and ankylosing spondylitis, both forms of arthritis that can cause chronic pain and inflammation.

These conditions typically affect people under 45, often following a period of chronic pain and a comprehensive evaluation. Ms Shanavas, now a head of inclusion and well-being, takes daily medication and has kept a decade-long journal to document her experiences. She emphasizes that arthritis can affect young people and urges others to recognize this.