A woman who spent every day in agony says doctors told her she was “too young” to be diagnosed with a painful chronic condition.
Nicky Richardson had been dealing with fatigue, night sweats and skin problems for most of her life.
As they worsened over the years, including suffering with joint pain, too, she simply put it down to “getting older”.
It wasn’t until she struggled to be outdoors without getting a painful reaction to the sun that she realised something much worse was going on.
“I was waking up stiff every morning, feeling like I’d run a marathon,” Nicky, a salon owner and director, from Plymouth, Devon, told Need To Know.
“[The symptoms] slowly became part of who I was.
“I genuinely believed this was just normal life.
“I thought everyone woke up in pain – and I thought being exhausted no matter how much I slept was normal.
“Looking back, they were red flags but when something creeps in gradually, you adapt to it.”
Nicky, 43, claims doctors told her she was “too young” to be experiencing arthritis; instead suggesting that she was dealing with stress and anxiety – or she was simply run down.
She added: “I was a busy woman always on my feet, running a successful, award-winning hair salon.
“I was constantly moving, constantly working.
“So I believed them. I pushed through.”
However, things escalated for Nicky in 2024, where she decided to go private with her healthcare.
Nicky said: “I became very unwell and ended up bed-bound.
“I couldn’t function.
“My GP wouldn’t see me and wouldn’t refer me, so I made the decision to go private.
“That appointment changed everything.”
Nicky was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks joint linings, causing painful, warm, swollen, and stiff joints, particularly in the hands, feet, and wrists.
She was also told she has a connective tissue disease, fibromyalgia and Raynaud syndrome, a condition that stops your blood flowing properly to your fingers and toes.
Nicky added: “When I finally heard the words, I felt two things at once: devastation and relief.
“Devastation because my life had just changed overnight.
“Relief because I wasn’t crazy.
“All the things I had brushed off for years were real.
“My body hadn’t been exaggerating.
“I hadn’t been weak. There was a reason.”
Nicky says her life “turned upside down” after her diagnosis, having to slow down and work only part-time at her salon.
She said: “I had to rebuild my entire life at a much slower pace.
“That has honestly been the hardest part – pacing myself, listening to my body, accepting that I couldn’t operate the way I used to.
“There’s also grief that people don’t talk about enough.
“Grieving your old life, grieving your independence, grieving the version of you that could do everything without thinking.”
Nicky says the experience has been “lonely” at times, but that sharing her story on social media has resonated with many people.
She has now found a community filled with support.
Now on lifelong medication to manage her conditions, Nicky described her treatment as helpful, but “not perfect”.
She added: “I still live with pain, I still flare most days.
“The medication comes with side effects.
“This isn’t a neat recovery story, it’s ongoing.
“Getting diagnosed didn’t fix everything but it gave me understanding – and understanding gave me power.
“Now, even though my life looks different, I’ve found purpose in helping others feel less alone.
“Don’t ignore your body, don’t let anyone dismiss you.
“You are not dramatic, you are not weak and you are not imagining it.”
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