After a Grand Slam victory she wins the Australian Open – the Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki is at the peak of her career in 2018. But then the competitive athlete falls ill with rheumatoid arthritis – a diagnosis that turns her entire life upside down. The former tennis star talks to us about her illness and how she deals with it.
Today I like to share my experiences. And also out of conviction. I now know how much you need other people when suddenly a serious illness disrupts your life. Especially a disease like rheumatoid arthritis .
To be honest, I had really bad moments back then. After all, I was a competitive athlete, had won the Grand Slam and the Australian Open in spring 2018. I felt in top shape and nothing clouded my view of the future. I had reached my maximum performance and was of course firmly convinced that it would continue for a few more years. But in preparation for the US Open, in late summer, I suddenly had pain in my ankles, was tired during the day and didn’t feel well. Suddenly I was losing matches that I thought I could easily win.
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My whole body ached
Then came a day I will never forget: I woke up in such excruciating pain that my husband had to carry me out of bed. I could hardly move myself, could not raise my arms, my shoulders hurt, elbows, hands and feet hurt. I had to fight with myself to be able to brush my hair.
At first I thought it was an extremely bad flu and immediately went to the doctor. A long chain of uncertain diagnoses began on this day. It was quite obvious that the pain was caused by the high tournament stress. Then I was offered explanations for my symptoms that I was pregnant or that “I’m just imagining it all”. But I knew exactly: It is my body with which something is wrong.
I canceled my participation in the Washington Open a week before my opening game. It didn’t get any better after that. My confidence that I would be able to play tennis again soon was dwindling.
The diagnosis is rheumatoid arthritis
It took a total of several, very nerve-wracking, months before I was clear. The turning point came when I finally found a rheumatologist who understood what I was going through. The diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis and that would accompany me for the rest of my life… My first question was: Can I have a healthy baby? He calmed me down.
The shock was still very deep. At least I had an explanation for my pain. Strange as it sounds, the uncertainty before the diagnosis was the worst, almost worse than the diagnosis itself.
My family and my husband were my support during this time. Especially with their patience. Because for everyone it was sometimes like a roller coaster ride: I couldn’t explain the sudden and severe attacks of pain to anyone. But my husband wouldn’t let me give up despite the extreme fatigue, swollen joints and aches and pains throughout my body. And has always encouraged me to look for a secure diagnosis.
Despite my rocky path to the right diagnosis, I now know: I’m one of the lucky ones. For other women it takes years. And that despite the fact that timely diagnosis is important for you to adapt in such a way that you can continue to lead a fulfilling life.
This knowledge and my personal experience of fear and helplessness are also the reason why I am committed to giving women quick access to the right diagnostics. After all, even I, the top athlete at ATP level with the best medical care, really had to fight to get a correct diagnosis. In doing so, one learns – inevitably – a lot about chronic inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, axillary spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis.
