Most members of Reiter’s Information and Support Group are curious about why I chose this name when it encompasses all of the Spondyloarthropathies.  When I first began to develop this group I didn’t know anything about Reiter’s Syndrome, and what the doctors did tell me I didn’t understand.  As I look back on it now, I was lucky to get diagnosed at all; I learned later that on an average it takes thirteen years to be diagnosed with one of the Spondyloarthropathies.

      Early on when I was diagnosed the doctors made it sound as if Reiter’s were nothing to worry about.  They said, “There is no cure, you will just have to learn to live with it”.  All I could think about was learn to live with what? All I really knew was I have something called Reiter’s Syndrome and didn’t know anyone else who ever had.  Thirteen years later I decided to create a webpage that would provide information and the ability for others to communicate who shared this disease.  I named this webpage Reiter’s Information and Support Group (RISG) because that was the disease I was diagnosed with and therefore concerned about finding information.

       Through this webpage I quickly learned that there were many people out in the world who had the same ailments as me, some were even worse.  RISG began to gain members over time and I learned that Reiter’s Syndrome was only one of the four Spondyloarthropathies. Great! I wasn’t even sure how to spell Reiter’s Syndrome when I first started let alone Spondyloarthropathy.  But, eventually I decided to include all of the Spondyloarthropathies in the group. The purpose of RISG will always be to help its members help each other by spreading as much factual information and support as possible to each other and then to the public. 

      By keeping the name Reiter’s Information and Support Group when we encompass all the Spondyloarthropathies is symbolic of the reason this group was started; ignorance of the facts.  We are no longer ignorant of the facts, but we must never forget from where we came. We must never forget that RISG exists not only to share information and support with one another, but also to share what we now know as fact to those who are where we once were. 
 

God Bless 

Reiter’s Information and Support Group