I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 18 years old, with symptoms started a few years prior. The first symptoms I experienced during high school weren’t seen as alarming at first. I remember coming down with a very bad cold my freshman year, started having random night sweats, bad acne, and random bruises on my wrist. Then the following year I had swelling in my knee joint that then disappeared after two days. Shortly after I noticed the knuckles in my hands seemed strange.