For Venus Williams, Illness Lurks as Persistent Foe.

[elleng]

Singing replaced swinging; karaoke became her way to cope.

“When the music came on, everybody knew,” Williams said. “Like: ‘Didn’t she just go to practice? She’s back already? Must be time to sing.’ ”

Williams said this Monday, in a quiet moment at the French Open, inside a windowless room beneath the courts. Since doctors told her she had Sjögren’s syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disease, last year at the United States Open, everything has changed. Williams says she wakes up each morning unsure of how she will feel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/sports/tennis/venus-williams-battling-disease-back-at-french-open.html?hp

[joeybee12]

1. Spoiler...

And she's the only Williams sister to make it to the second round...and the irony? All the American women won thier first round matches except the one picked to win it all.

[TBF]

3. Awesome -

I will be rooting for her! And worrying about her too ...

[elleng]

5. Yes, just saw this.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/sports/tennis/2012-french-open-serena-williams-ousted-in-first-round.html?hp

[TBF]

2. I have spoken in here previously a bit

about Venus and Sjogren's. I feel so bad for her, and wish I could sit down with her, give her a hug and just talk.

My diagnosis with psoriatic arthritis came 2 years ago. I had already slowed down some the past 10 years, I had two children and wasn't doing nearly as much racing. I was a runner from my teen years on - tons of road races (5 & 10Ks) and completed two marathons. Along with the races though I was always a runner and that was something that gave me a lot of confidence in my life. I was used to training and then having my body do what I expected. Pregnancy was bad enough - particularly fainting out of the blue after a long run was disconcerting. But after the 2nd baby I was slower, didn't lose weight as fast, and then started having difficulty with getting out of bed in the morning, walking down the stairs and with balance in general. It didn't take me long to realize I probably had the same disease as my dad, it just had struck me a little later in life. I went in for the blood tests and the diagnosis was confirmed.

I haven't taken up running again although I wouldn't count that out - as I am working on rebuilding my confidence. I have 2 big dogs that I walk daily (adds up to at least an hour a day most days), I take the injections and anti-inflammatories as prescribed, and I'm working to eat a better diet (with 2 young kids that is probably where I fail the most). Some days I'm great - I can take longer walks, do a lot of cleaning, feel just like I always did. On others days (especially the rainy ones) I can wake up with my joints hurting, and then have more fatigue and a harder time getting around. Sometimes the fatigue is due to extra anti-inflammatories, some days it's just fatigue. It's rough on your body to have a chronic disease and each day is different. And other than watching the weather a bit there really is nothing I can do about what each day is going to look like except trying to remain positive.

I give Venus so much credit and I hope very much that she can compete in London. And then I hope she retires, still works out as she is able, and uses some of that creative energy she has to work on her tennis clothing lines, etc. She has done a great job for herself, her family and her country with her competing. I understand how hard it is for things to change (even at an amateur level), it has to be a thousand times harder for her with her accomplishments, but now I hope she lets herself rest and take care of her body the best she can.

[elleng]

4. Thanks. Hadn't heard about this,

for you or Venus, until today, and I can't imagine what your lives are like.