Carol Vorderman has opened up on her chronic health battle with rheumatoid arthritis that would often leave her ‘lying on the floor crying for a day’.
The 64-year-old joined Heart Breakfast hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, both 54, on the radio show on Wednesday to discuss her new lease of life after suffering from burnout and being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease.
Speaking about her condition, she told the hosts: ‘I’ve been like you, Amanda, 43 years working.
She continued: ‘I don’t live in London, I haven’t lived in London most of my life, so you know, travelling into London, I have burn out, and then I had, it’s a really weird thing, I had sudden chronic rheumatoid arthritis, yeah, chronic.
‘And I literally would lie on the floor crying for a day, and I couldn’t move my shoulder, I had to keep my arm like my elbow in at my waist.
‘I had been on steroids on and off for months and months and months, because they have to try certain drugs for you and it takes months for you to find the right ones,
Carol Vorderman has now opened up on her chronic health battle with rheumatoid arthritis that would often leave her ‘lying on the floor crying for a day’ (pictured at Pride of Britain Awards on Monday)
The 64-year-old joined Heart Breakfast hosts Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden, both 54, on the radio show on Wednesday to discuss her new lease of life after suffering from burnout and being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease (pictured previously on This Morning)
‘And now I’ve been off steroids for like three months or something, and it’s like “Yeah, I like this!”.
Amanda exclaimed: ‘It’s woken you up to life!’ and Carol replied: ‘Yes, because I was always a party animal! And now I’m back! You ask Alan Carr.’
Amanda, who is a close friend of the comedian, asked the star: ‘What I can’t understand, you don’t really drink, so how do you go out with Alan Carr and not drink, because that I find impossible.’
Carol replied: ‘Well, that’s true, I don’t drink, I’ve never smoked, I’ve never done a recreational drug, and I’m like clean living girl, and then this thing happened, but I’m glad it happened, if it doesn’t sound too weird.’
Jamie, who was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer last year, chimed in, saying: ‘No, because when you have a health scare, you feel like you’ve had a bit of a rebirth,’ and Carol agreed with the TV presenter.
According to the NHS, rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, feet and wrists.
There may be periods where symptoms become worse, known as flare-ups or flares.
A flare can be difficult to predict, but with treatment, it’s possible to decrease the number of flares and minimise or prevent long-term damage to the joints.
Speaking about her condition, she told the hosts: ‘I’ve been like you, Amanda, 43 years working. I haven’t lived in London, so you know, travelling into London, I have burn out’
She continued: ‘And I literally would lie on the floor crying for a day, and I couldn’t move my shoulder, I had to keep my arm like my elbow in at my waist’
Some people with rheumatoid arthritis also experience problems in other parts of their body, or more general symptoms such as tiredness and weight loss.
Later in the day, Carol also joined This Morning hosts Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shephard, 50, to discuss hosting the Pride of Britain Awards alongside Ashley Banjo, 37.
However, Ben wanted to know how she was feeling after having ‘quite the year’.
Carol told the pair: ‘It has, yes, it has. Well, I was a workaholic, you’ve known for decades, you two, haven’t you? I was exhausted, my hip burnt out last year, I’m a gym bunny…
‘Then I did my rotator cuff in, so by the time I had all my well-woman bloods done in December, I had what’s called an inflammatory marker CRP, which should be five or below, and it was nine, because I had this rotator cuff issue.
‘Then I had some jabs, let’s say, I don’t want to start on about the vaccine… I had some jabs, and suddenly I had chronic and sudden rheumatoid arthritis.
‘Within two days. I couldn’t move this at all [hand] without crying in pain. Chronic pain for months and months, while they found the right medication.
She went on to thank the NHS, adding: ‘The NHS has been superb. Thank you, BRI metrology department, you are absolutely magnificent. I’m on the right drugs now, they are called biologics.’
Listen to Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden weekdays from 06:30 – 10:00 across the UK and on Global Player.
WHAT IS RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS? THE AGONISING LONG-TERM ILLNESS THAT IS INCURABLE
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 400,000 people in the UK
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) affects around 400,000 people in the UK and nearly 1.3 million adults in the US.
Women are up to three times more likely to develop the condition than men. Those with family history of rheumatoid arthritis are also more vulnerable.
It is a long-term illness in which the immune system causes the body to attack itself, causing painful, swollen and stiff joints.
RA, the second most common form of arthritis that often begins between the ages of 40 and 50, tends to strike the hands, wrists and knees.
Scientists are currently unsure as to the exact cause of RA, but smoking, eating lots of red meat and coffee drinkers are at higher risk.
A cure has yet to be found, but treatments are available and proven to help slow down the progressive condition.
RA is a complex autoimmune condition that is diagnosed and treated by a Consultant Rheumatologist in secondary care and the patient is followed up on a regular basis by a consultant-led multi-disciplinary team in hospital.
