Alison Jakubcin never imagined that at 28, she’d wake up each morning with her hands locked in place—numb, stiff, and immobile. “I couldn’t open my fingers,” she recalled. “I thought maybe I was just dehydrated or needed more sleep. I didn’t want to believe something serious was going on.”

For nearly a year, Alison pushed through worsening symptoms: tingling hands, unbearable foot pain, and joints that felt like they were on fire. “It got to the point where I’d step out of bed and feel like I was walking on glass,” she said.  

It wasn’t until a routine visit to a walk-in clinic—originally for flu-like symptoms—that everything changed. “The doctor asked if anything else was going on. I casually mentioned my hand pain, and that led to bloodwork—and a life-changing realization that something much bigger was happening.”

A Shocking Diagnosis

The results from her bloodwork showed extremely high rheumatoid markers—most often related to autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjogren syndrome. Alison was referred to a rheumatologist, but the closest provider was two hours away. She got in after two months—a shorter wait than most—but the care she received didn’t match the severity of her condition.

Alison trusted the process, but her condition worsened. “I couldn’t dress myself. I couldn’t open a water bottle. I felt like I was rapidly becoming disabled, and no one seemed to understand,” she said.  

The Doctor Who Changed Everything

Alison sought new care when the original practice shifted to a concierge model. “When I got an appointment in East Lansing with Dr. Tony Gianelli, a rheumatologist at Great Lakes Center of Rheumatology, I realized we had already met,” she said. “I made small talk with a stranger who stopped for gas at my friends’ shop during a boating trip just three days prior.”  

“We had this crazy connection; it’s like we were meant to meet,” she added.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Kid, those people left you to suffer. You could be doing so much better,” she added. “I broke down in tears. For the first time, someone believed me.”

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Dr. Tony adjusted her medications and gave her a steroid injection at that first visit, providing near-immediate relief. “Within 24 hours, I was doing things I hadn’t done in years,” she said. “That’s how dramatic the change was.”

And when insurance red tape delayed access to medication, Dr. Tony personally stepped in, calling insurers and specialty pharmacies until the medication was approved. “He fought for me when I didn’t have the strength to fight for myself,” she said.  

A Mental and Emotional Battle

While medications brought physical relief, Alison faced deep emotional challenges.

“There were times I prayed for it to end,” she said. “I love life but didn’t want to live like that anymore. The pain was relentless. And when people said, ‘But you look great!’—they didn’t know I was surviving on bone broth and barely able to function.”

She also began struggling with ulnar drift, a hand deformity associated with RA, which made her self-conscious. “People would comment without meaning harm, but it hurt. I’d just think, ‘Why me?’”

Eventually, she shifted her mindset: “I didn’t ask for this but decided to fight it. I couldn’t change the diagnosis, but I could choose how to respond.”

Using Her Voice—and Her Story—to Help Others

Alison now uses her Instagram account to document life with RA. She shares her treatment routines, flare-up days, and moments of joy and accomplishment. “I started posting to raise awareness, to let people know this can happen to someone who looks ‘fine.’ And I wanted others to know they weren’t alone.”

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That openness created community. She’s helped others start injections, referred dozens to her rheumatology clinic, and supported parents of newly diagnosed teens.

Her efforts didn’t go unnoticed. In 2022, Alison received the Governor’s Service Health Impact Award from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for her commitment to advocacy and education around rheumatoid arthritis.

Resilience in Action: Degrees, Goals, and Gratitude

Despite everything, Alison continued to pursue her education—another way she refused to let her diagnosis define her. She recently earned two degrees: an associate degree from Alpena Community College and a bachelor’s from Northwood University. “I didn’t want RA to stop me from achieving my goals,” she said.

She’s pictured beaming in her cap and gown alongside her family—who she credits as part of the strong support system that’s helped her stay grounded. “My family never made me feel like a burden,” she said. “They help when I need it but still let me try things independently.”

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Her workplace, too, has supported her—offering flexibility, accommodations, and compassion when she needed it most.

Words of Advice: Don’t Settle

To others facing a new RA diagnosis, Alison offers this advice: Don’t settle. “If your first doctor isn’t helping, find another one. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself. I wish I had done that sooner,” she said. “Your life doesn’t have to stop here. There’s hope—and people will walk you through it.”

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For Alison, the goal is simple: keep going, keep sharing, and keep helping. “I can’t control that I have rheumatoid arthritis. But I can control how I live with it—and how I use my story to lift someone else.”

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