For Caitlin Helme (19) the nightmare is a reality and will be for the rest of her life.
She has just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body's cells attack good cells instead of foreign cells.
''It's not great. There is no cure, which is a bit s..., but treatment is better than it used to be.''
Caitlin, who is from New Plymouth, is one of an estimated 5600 young people in New Zealand aged between 15 and 24 who suffer from the condition.
She is a first-year student at the University of Otago, studying psychology and linguistics, and it was not the start to university life she had anticipated.
''Something triggered a big flare-up. I was in a lot of pain. I had swollen lymph nodes in my neck.''
She went to the doctor and from there to a specialist, who diagnosed her and put her on a course of drugs to help control the symptoms.
She often woke up feeling quite stiff, struggled with fatigue and on some days her hands might be so swollen she could not type, while on other days it might be her feet or a hip, Caitlin said.
''I take nine pills [a day] - that's before the painkillers.''
The drugs meant she could not drink alcohol, which made it difficult in some situations, she said.
''It's hard for people to understand - it's an invisible illness. People think of it as their grandma's arthritis but it's not.''
While she had to give up competitive cricket and hockey, she was continuing with her studies with help from the university's disability services.
Her diagnosis did help her make sense of her medical past, she said.
''I had carpal tunnel syndrome when I was 14 years old. I had four wrist operations before I was 16. And I always had infections.
''It's nice to know they're all related to something, but I wish it was something that had a cure.''
She hoped her story would help raise awareness of the disease during Arthritis Appeal Week, which ends with a street appeal today.
