It is a big shock finding out you have a strange disease you had never heard of before. I was 70 when I was diagnosed with GCA and PMR. Like you, I have always been very fit, mainly from running for almost 50 years. I have been receiving treatment for a little over 2 years, and I'm feeling great. I'm running better than I have for several years, and I'm still doing the weights and stretching routine that I've been doing for decades. I took prednisone for about 14 months, but I've been off of it for a year. I'm still taking an injection of Actemra every other week, but I don't have any symptoms of GCA or PMR, and also no side effects from medications.

I found that I could maintain a decent level of fitness during treatment, but I had to be careful to figure out what I could handle. I had a few minor injuries and setbacks, but no lasting problems. I also had to learn to manage my energy, because it takes a lot of rest to recover.

Because of the GCA, I had to take high doses of prednisone. I had a lot of side effects from the prednisone, but there were ways to minimize most of the side effects, and the side effects faded as I tapered.

Depending on your case, your doctor might recommend a biologic drug like Kevzara so that you can taper off of prednisone faster.

PMR is difficult, but things definitely improve with time. I'm really pleased now and surprised at how much I have recovered.