Hi there!
I’m Sarah, a mom in her 30s with 2 busy toddler boys, juggling mom-life with rheumatoid arthritis.
I was born and raised in Hawaii and moved out to Missouri (yes, Missouri) when I was 18 years old to attend college while on a swimming scholarship. I have met my college sweetheart, and we are happily married with our 2 very busy & sometimes feral toddler boys, and our rescue dog.
My RA journey began after the birth of my second son, and navigating life with chronic pain while being a mom has been both challenging and transformative. I’ve learned to set boundaries and prioritize what truly matters – my health, family, and peace. This path has led me to start putting myself first, valuing my time, and finding harmony in the chaos of motherhood. I want other moms with RA to know that it’s okay to ask for help, set boundaries, and still thrive.
“I want every Mom with rA to know how proud I am of you for pushing through each day. navigating stress, breathing through the pain, & Juggling motherhood. I see you. You are not alone.”
Life Before RA
I lived in paradise without knowing how to fully appreciate it.
I was born and raised in Hawaii. And all of my family are still there, thousands of miles away. My childhood wasn’t like any of my classmates growing up as my grandfather raised me when my parents chose drugs over me and my 2 older siblings. I was too young to remember most of those details because my gramps saved me by keeping me under his wing. He created his own swim team decades before I was born. I am just one of our many generations of swimmers in the family.
At age 18, I took a leap to Missouri on a swimming scholarship. One of the first of my family to go to a university on a scholarship. I graduated with a degree in Social Work and took an interest in Psychology, swam for all 4 years with being captain my senior year and even made it into my University’s Hall of Fame in 2019. College brought so many adventures, including meeting my now-husband, who’s from this part of the Midwest. Together, we’ve built a life full of laughter, tons of love & tough love, with the ongoing chaos that comes with raising a family.
Before rheumatoid arthritis entered my life, I was chasing after American dream because that is what my gramps told me to do: get a job, buy a house, raise a family. So, I stayed active: working a demanding full-time job, running errands, managing a household, hiking and working out often, drinking with friends and going out to crowded places to only confirm my dislike for crowded places.
Going from eat/sleep/swim for 20+ years to then being a swammer with a full time job, I had always been someone who thrived on a busy schedule. I love getting things done and checking them off my list each day. I became too good at overanalyzing and that skill has evolved into a new level of over-analysis paralysis but I would constantly find ways to improve in my daily routines. Little did I know, life was about to change in ways I could never have imagined.
My Journey with RA
I was 5 weeks postpartum…
In August 2022, everything shifted… and I am not talking about the shifting of my innards moving all around to make space for my baby to going back into its technical normal vicinity. As my newborn grew with each day, I noticed these aches and pains throughout my entire body take over and I woke up one day barely able to move without feeling excruciating pain. I knew I was waking up every few hours, surviving on broken sleep to tend to my baby’s needs but this pain was unlike anything I had ever felt. My body, which had carried me through so many challenges, suddenly betrayed me entirely. The pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced – it wasn’t just discomfort; it was debilitating. My husband had to take over everything – diaper changes, dishes, laundry – while I sat there, struggling to even unclip my nursing bra to feed my baby. I remember saying, “I would take labor pains over this any day.”
Getting diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis being so freshly into my postpartum phase while on my 12 week maternity leave, trying to adjust to being a new family of 4, all the while functioning on broken sleep trying to take care of my newborn was just an indescribable feeling and certainly one I’ll never be able to forget. I was robbed of my maternity leave as my days became a whirlwind of doctor appointments, medications, and constant pain. But more than the physical struggle, it was the emotional toll that weighed me down. My anxiety amplified. I feared what my future would look like – how could I continue to be the mom, wife, and woman I wanted to be while battling this invisible enemy? I knew I wasn’t the only mom out there feeling this way. So, I started searching for ways to not just survive but to thrive despite RA.
I learned to focus on the small wins. Each day, whether good or bad, became something to celebrate. I realized that I had to shift my mindset, or I was going to continue down this dark path. I chose to embrace my new reality and find harmony amidst this chaos. And most importantly, I started setting boundaries to protect what I value most: time with my family, my peace, and the ability to create more me-time without the guilt.
What I’m Up To Now
Today, I am still feeling the unpredictability that RA brings each day while working full-time and being the best mom and wife I can be for my boys. I’ve become more protective of my time and peace, I set boundaries and make time for myself without feeling the mom-guilt because I’ve had to learn that lesson of taking care of me first is not a selfish act, it’s essential.
As a competitive swimmer, I was constantly pushing my physical and mental boundaries all for that split-second of time. My daily routine isn’t as hardcore as it was in my college days but I’ve awakened my old habit of choosing to wake up before my household does and pick ME first. I work out and get my body moving. I listen to what weights I’m able to grip if any and just get my blood flowing and endorphins activated before I switch gears into mom-mode, get the boys to daycare, downshift into my corporate job, and back into mom-mode until it’s bedtime then it’s decluttering and cleaning until I can dive into bed and then do it all over again.
My mission here is simple yet powerful: to help other moms with RA reclaim their time and find joy in the little moments that often get overshadowed by chronic pain. I know firsthand what it’s like to spiral out of control because simple tasks like opening a jar or putting your hair up with a hair-tie should just be easy and without real thought, but the joint pain doesn’t allow us to.
Every day is different, especially with the unpredictability of RA. To feel out of control both physically and mentally, to spiral out of control with all the “what if’s” and trip over these new fears that RA brings to the table, to feel lost with the goals you have on your list now accumulating dust and just being unsure of where to go… I get it.
And that’s why I’ve created The RA MOMentum Club. A space to stop “just getting by” and start moving forward with encouragement, accountability coaching, and so much more to help you see your value and all you do every single day.
Through my free “3-Day Rise & Shine Challenge,” I guide moms with RA to start the mornings off by choosing themselves at the start of their day, reclaiming a bit of peace and energy before the day’s demands kick in. As a mom, we are constantly being called on whether we are awake or not. It’s time to wake up with the intention of shining the light on YOU first.
I also offer personalized 1:1 connection sessions for those who want deeper support and actionable strategies for harmonizing motherhood and life with RA. I meet moms exactly where they are, whatever season they are in – whether that’s through a Zoom camera on call or Voxer text/voice session, the choice is yours. Here, we go beyond the surface, addressing not just the physical challenges but also the emotional and mental hurdles that come with managing an autoimmune disease while raising a family and to feel encouraged at the end of each day, not depleted.
