David Haye recently branded Adam Thomas ‘lazy and useless’ after the actor said he wasn’t feeling ready for an I’m A Celeb challenge – I know what this feels like, writes Daniel Bird
I thought rheumatoid arthritis only affected old people, not people in their 20s or 30s. But how wrong I was. For years, I’d battled with insufferable pain in my hands, knees and hips, similar to Adam Thomas, who has been open about his experience with psoriatic arthritis. David Haye’s recent comments on I”m A Celebrity have shocked me beyond belief.
My doctors tried everything, from pain relief medication to Iburprofen gel, but nothing seemed to work, it was a constant battle. Although the pain had been there for several years, I still got on with things, despite the havoc my body was enduring at the time.
In my early 20s, I moved to Sheffield to study for my Master’s in International Journalism, and it was then that the pain became even worse. Of course, my halls were at the bottom of one of the steepest hills, and my uni was at the top; only I could make that choice.
It was my GP surgery, on site at Sheffield Hallam University, who first took me and my pain seriously, including the swollen hands and knees. They referred me for X-rays at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, as well as MRI scans and ultrasounds, before transferring my care to the Northern General, where I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2017.
Aged just 22, I had a diagnosis of something I thought only old people suffered from. But it was a condition I was all too aware of; my Nan had suffered from it in her hands, just like me. The NHS states that Rheumatoid arthritis often starts in the hands and feet and is diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 60. Symptoms include
I was started on medication, celecoxib, an NSAID to be precise, with omeprazole to protect my stomach from the medication. As well as this, I was on regular pain relief to manage on a day-to-day basis, as no two days were ever the same.
But despite the omeprazole, the medication caused other issues, meaning I ended up trialling another type of anti-inflammatory, which worked but also caused more damage.
I’ve taken three different types of NSAID medication, but while they worked and somewhat helped my joint issues, they caused more damage than good, so I can now only take pain relief. Which, on paper, should work, but the daily struggle isn’t always just pain. It’s hours of my joints feeling as though they’re seizing up, my hand looking as though it’s straight out of a grabber machine in the arcades.
It’s trying to live like a normal 30-something-year-old with my friends, going to gigs and festivals, but making sure I take a day off on the other side because my knees and hips are in agony. Seeing Adam Thomas suffer on I’m A Celeb is so sad, he was honest with his campmates, explaining his body wasn’t up for a challenge and rightly so.
The condition drains the energy out of you on a daily basis. While we are yet to see Adam explaining his illness to David, to see the boxer shrug off his struggle feels wrong on so many levels. “Who gives a s**t if he doesn’t feel well. He’s a grown-ass man,” Haye said, adding: “I don’t like guys who are… a bit useless. I hate them, useless guys.”
Let’s be real – Adam isn’t useless. Haye wouldn’t get into the boxing ring with a broken arm or broken leg, would he? Would that make him useless? I don’t think he would see it that way.
In fact, I bet if Haye had a broken arm, he would be the first person to whip out the sympathy card, saying a postponed fight was out of his hands, but he would be back stronger than ever. So let that sink in. Why does he feel it’s right to tear down another individual, somebody who is struggling both mentally and physically?
I’ve never taken part in I’m A Celeb, obviously, I’m not famous, nor would I ever if I somehow ended up on the other side of celebrity reporting, as I imagine the toll it would take on the body wouldn’t be worth the financial reward, given how much pain I would likely be in from the physical demands of the show.
Adam’s admission on Sunday night about the pain he endured in the camp is so relatable to me. It’s not just the physical aspect of the pain from arthritis; it’s the mental toll, too – especially first thing in the morning, when the joints have been inactive for hours from sleeping. Trying to wake them up is no small feat.
He said taking part in the South Africa spin-off of the show was one of the toughest things he’s endured, both mentally and physically, and I can understand that. Simple things like walking or even typing when you have a flare-up can be brutal – I’m lucky that I have an understanding workplace, and if I need to, I know I can take time away from my desk, but Adam couldn’t; he was in that jungle 24 hours a day – sleeping with the bare minimums.
No amount of relaxation can take away the pain from living with arthritis, and David really should have thought long and hard before verbally attacking Adam. He should have sat down and had a proper conversation about how Adam’s condition affects him.
It’s the age-old saying: not everything is visible. People need to be more understanding of others, which sadly many lack in today’s society. If, like Haye, you’re uneducated, I strongly recommend reading up about the condition on the Arthritis UK website.
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