This subject was brought up to me recently because my grandmother had it. She could barely walk and couldn't do many little things like getting out of bed and tying her shoes. Since my mother is a physical therapist, she knew what to do, but I didn't really know what it was or how to help her. Most of what I knew about “arthritis” was that it affected the bones, but it was much more than that. I also didn't realize it was rheumatoid arthritis and not just normal arthritis, they are different because rheumatoid arthritis is related to your joints unlike regular arthritis which is related to wear and tear on your bones. I would have liked to know if I could prevent it or even if it's genetic and if I could develop it too. I also wanted to know what the symptoms were because all I knew was that she was in pain. I was afraid that she wouldn't live as long because she had this syndrome, which is why I decided to write this article. “Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which your body's immune system – which protects your health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks your joints. The abnormal immune response causes inflammation that can damage joints and organs, such as the heart. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are the key to preventing joint destruction and organ damage. »(Rheumatoid arthritis). This is the definition I found, but when most people read it, they find it too complex and difficult to understand. So, I started asking questions: is it hereditary, are the medications she will be taking harmful, and can it be avoided? So my big question is: will this illness prevent my grandmother from doing her normal activities and will she still be able to have a...... middle of paper...... to inform. I was also able to use first person, so it was more personal. I learned more about how to search for valid websites. So I looked around the websites and took my time to go through them and see if I could benefit from any of the information. Overall, I learned a lot from doing this project, not only about my topic, but also about how to write an article. Works Cited “Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): Treatment Programs for Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain.” . Np, and Web. May 14, 2014. “Rheumatoid arthritis.” Definition. Np, and Web. May 14, 2014. “Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Is It Hereditary?” » Health Line. Np, and Web. May 14, 2014. “Rheumatoid Arthritis: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” United States National Library of Medicine. US National Library of Medicine, nd Web. May 14 2014.