Jan's story - psoriatic arthritis
For
psoriatic arthritis sufferer Jan Williams, anti-TNF therapy helped
her discover a previously untapped talent for art - and set her on
an a fulfilling new life.
For Jan Williams, gaining a First Class Honours in degree in
Fine Art at the age of 53 was the end of an incredible story of her
triumph over illness and disability.
For years Jan, from Cardiff, was crippled by severe psoriatic
arthritis. Frequently in and out of a wheelchair, she struggled to
bring up her five children, and had to give up work in her 30s when
her condition worsened. For several years her arthritis. was not
properly controlled and she had to live with constant pain and
restricted mobility. In particular her hands were inflamed and
deformed by the devastating effects of the disease.
But six years ago her life turned round. A new drug therapy
transformed her life, enabling her to pick up a paintbrush for the
first time since leaving school and enroll on a degree course in
Fine Art at Cardiff School of Art and Design.
Jan’s salvation was a new drug called infliximab, part of a new
class of drugs called anti-TNF therapy. The drugs were pioneered
and developed by the Arthritis Research Campaign whose Cardiff
branch Jan has been a member of for several years. Although not a
cure, they control symptoms in many patients to such an extent that
they can return to a near-normal life.
Now Jan’s hard work and artistic flair has been rewarded, after
she gained a First Class honours degree – and in the same week one
of her paintings of her studio was selected from all final year
painting students for a £500 prize by the National Museum Wales.
Her painting is now hanging at the Cardiff School of Art and
Design.
“My hands are quite twisted and deformed by arthritis so I wore
gloves at my art school interview because I didn’t want to be
treated differently, “says Jan. “The past three years have been
brilliant. Going to art school and winning this prize has been a
wonderful experience, but if I hadn’t had arthritis I would never
have done it. Infliximab has made a complete difference to my life
and enabled me to do things I didn’t know I was capable of.”
Jan was encouraged to take up the Fine Art degree by her
consultant at University of Wales Hospital, Dr Sharon Jones, to
boost her self-esteem, which was low after years of illness.
“I was inspired to do Fine Art through the stories of the Great
Masters such as Renoir, Klee and Dufy, all of whom produced great
and enduring works of art despite suffering crippling illnesses
like mine,” explains Jan. “I also wanted to study art because I
felt it would be a way for me to fight back and restore my
self-esteem and independence.”
Although she had not done any art since junior school, Jan
sailed through the Access course before applying to art school
where she has specialised in painting interior scenes in oil on
board and canvass.
In a way, gaining a degree has been the beginning rather the end
of her story because she is now studying for a Masters in Fine Art,
and as a result of winning the prize she has been asked to produce
paintings to hang in the rheumatology department at the University
of Wales Hospital where she is a patient.
Fred Johnson, area appeals manager for the Arthritis Research
Campaign in South Wales, said: “Jan’s achievement is an inspiring
one, which will help other people with severe arthritis to realise
that the outlook for them is more positive than ever before.
Jan’s story first appeared in
Arthritis Today in 2009.