Hey, don't worry so much. If you have arthritis, either osteo or rheumatoid there is no reason why you can't keep on running, You may just have to slow it down and listen to your aches and pains.
Did he say what type he thought it might be???
If he suspects rheumatoid, you're in for a shaky time, but with the right medication, a healthy lifestyle and positive attitude you can carry on. You will just have to be patient with yourself. But it can be vicious.
Osteo-arthritis is a different bag. It can also cause massive problems, but I believe there is a lot of help out there.
If he's right, try the following, and don't give in:
Find yourself a damn good physio
Try acupuncture for pain relief
Have regular massages - rheumatoid will affect the muscles so try to keep them unknotted
Try yoga - it's important to keep supple
Research your condition, you need to be able to sort out the fact from the fiction cos everyone will be giving you advice, not least your GP who is not an expert (sorry to any GPs out there, but it's true)
For information on arthritis try:
www.arthritis.org.uk
there's also arthritis care, and loads more, including helpline numbers so you can off load to people who know exactly what you're going through.
Good luck x
