Real life Call to action Emergency services call handler Alison Parry, 33, took on the challenge of walking Hadrians Wall in the summer to raise awareness of Arthritis Care intErViEW: phil lattimore Alison, centre , with friends during their hike i was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis seven years ago, when i was on holiday in Australia. Id injured my foot and had it in a cast, but I still decided to travel. But then my joints got progressively worse, and the doctor suspected arthritis. i was 26, and it was a long, drawn-out process to get it confirmed. Because it took so long, I was quite relieved that at least I knew what it was. it was quite a few months later that it hit me. This would be a life-long condition. It was very difficult to come to terms with, and I struggled for a long time. I didnt know anyone else who had arthritis, and everything I looked at was aimed at older people. Live music is my passion i love going to gigs and festivals. The condition had a massive impact on me because I couldnt stand for long periods of time. Camping was difficult at first, because I was on crutches. After I was diagnosed, I was embarrassed about my condition. I couldnt just go to a festival for five days without thinking about it. And I felt really self-conscious when I had to use my crutches. i would say to anyone in my position, try not to be embarrassed because a) its not your fault, and b) the people that care dont think anything of it. i worked as a sales manager for a fine art company, but i had to change my job. I knew a few people who worked as emergency services call handlers, and they said Id be good at it, so I changed careers two years ago. I really enjoy it. Alison is still collecting sponsorship for her walk, so if you would like to contribute, visit justgiving.com/ fundraising/aliamelia-helen A friend suggested looking at Arthritis cares website. That was five or six years ago. I signed up for a weekly Managing your condition course. I also met quite a few people, which was good because no-one in my life at the time had any experience of arthritis, so I felt I couldnt talk to them about it. If Im having a bad day, Ill just have some time to myself i did my first charity walk for Arthritis care with two friends around five years ago. It was an 87-mile hike along the Ridgeway ational Trail, and we raised around 1,800. I really wanted to raise awareness in my local area, and I also wanted to prove to myself that I could still do stuff like this. It was tough, but a good laugh, so I wanted to do it again. i walked 54 miles of Hadrians wall over five days in August 2017. It was very challenging. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis earlier in the year, and when we began I was in the middle of a flare-up, so I knew I wasnt going to be able to complete it. My friends walked the full 84 miles, though, and weve raised more than 1,700 so far. one of the techniques i used for managing pain was distraction. We played a lot of games on the walk, where I tried to think of other things rather than the pain. if im having a bad day, ill just have some time to myself lying on my bed reading a book, taking it easy, or having a few hours of not doing anything. Its better to do that than trying to push yourself and finding that a bad day turns into a bad week. i still enjoy swimming and walking. I try to go out walking at lunchtimes when Im working to keep my body moving. Exercise is really important in helping to manage the condition, even if its just for a small amount of time. i managed to go to glastonbury in 2013. Ive also been to festivals in Reading and Hyde Park. I had a lot of help and it was great! It was an amazing experience and I was so glad I did it.