"The place which has made it possible for me to..."

I have been a patient at the RNHRD since 1991. I have ankylosing spondylitis with a lot of chronic pain and spinal deformity. Since I first walked through the doors I have received a level of care and support which is second to none. I have been on As courses and also had many stays as an inpatient on Violet Prince. I learn new things every time I go there. I am always amazed at the thoughtful consideration and expert advice given, as well as the general care and enormous sense of humour which often accompanies treatment. I have been helped through times of very severe pain, and have been pushed to a level of mobility which has often seemed impossible. I shudder to think what state I might now be in if it hadn't been for the Min. This is an extraordinary place. It has a personal touch within the often impersonal NHS. Chronic, daily pain can make you grim, miserable, depressed and hopeless. The RNHRD gives you the tools to deal with and often supress pain, look at the possibilities of life as a whole, understand your disease and put it in the proper perspective in your daily life. It keeps you moving, makes you feel personally cared for, and educates you thoroughly about your condition. It leaves you feeling valued. This old place in the centre of Bath is a hospital like no other. It should be cherished, supported and preserved for the up and coming generation of patients with rheumatic diseases who are scared and facing a life of chronic pain.