When the World Stopped: Living with Ankylosing Spondylitis

Diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis at 17, Abel reflects on losing the sporting life he once knew, navigating years of pain and uncertainty, and finding a way forward.

Abel (Italy)

6/5/20262 min read

I could tell you about so many things, countless small and big changes that this disease has brought into my life. But I want to talk about sport, which has been such a constant companion in my days, and how, through determination and a bit of healthy madness, it became part of my life again.

My name is Abel, I’m 27 years old, and almost 10 years ago I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. I’ve spent my whole life playing sports, and I’m convinced that this has helped me a lot over the years while living with an immunological and rheumatological disease. Nearly a decade ago, I was a competitive athlete at a regional level, nothing beyond that, but I played football and, for a short time, rugby.

One summer day, after an injury, I suddenly couldn’t walk or run properly anymore. It felt like a blackout, the world stopped. The sporting life that had always been part of my life faded, everything around me turned grey, and the pain kept growing, taking over. Things that once felt easy became difficult. I started questioning myself and everything around me. I went through a long journey of doctors and specialists, each with their own opinion. I tried all kinds of medications. Nothing worked, nothing at all.

Then, far from home, I met someone, a doctor who was researching my condition. She explained that she wanted me to try a “new drug,” already tested, but that I would be part of a clinical trial. She would follow me closely and see how my body responded. I accepted, I had already tried everything else.

As time went by, the pain remained constant, but I learned to live with it. It became part of me. The treatment started to limit the damage, it would never fully fix it, and I slowly made peace with the disease. Now it is part of me, something that will stay with me forever. The pain means I am no longer the athlete I once was, that is certain. But then I asked myself, why can’t I become a new version of myself?

- Abel (Italy)

Living with Ankylosing Spondylitis