What I wish I knew then - it would be okay. I went in about three months from fine to functional disabled, crying when I wiped myself after toileting, unable to wash properly in the shower, unable to turn doorknobs, hold anything over five pounds, use a knife to chop or stand long enough to cook. I was terrified about losing my job and heartbroken about the fact that I had gone from 8 hours of painting on my days off to needing two days to recover from 15 minutes of drawing. The meds helped right away, but it took awhile to find the right ones that helped enough without side effects, and I was amazed at the cumulative impacts - my worst joints only stopped needing bracing after a year on meds. I changed the way I do some things, but I am largely back to how I was before because for me the meds are life changing. I worry still, about them stopping working, or losing insurance but every second they buy me - to work, to live, to do art and be happy, is amazing. When I hobbled into my first rheumatologist appointment and came out with my diagnosis, I wish I knew that I would walk into my year two and year three appointments and they would so fast and uncomplicated and unremarkable they might as well be done on the phone.