Topics: editors picks, laughter, maryborough, medicine, rieters disease

DANIEL Gassman was diagnosed with the rare, incurable genetic disorder Rieters syndrome but he believes the best medicine for him is laughter.

The gene is triggered by a viral infection and Daniel said he believed the disease kicked in after enduring a four-month stint with the flu in 2000.

"I would bump myself and the pain would last two or more weeks and then my vision started to blur," Daniel said.

"For two-and-a-half years I went from doctor to doctor trying to find out what was going on.

"My current GP is absolutely brilliant - he did a few tests and sent me to a specialist.

"I visited Professor Nash in Maroochydore - he asked me a couple of questions, got me to walk and said I know what you've got, I just have to do a blood test to prove it."

The 37-year-old said he was diagnosed with Reiters disease - a roaming rheumatoid arthritis.

"I can wake up one morning and my knees aren't working and the next morning my knees are fine and then my hands aren't working," he said.

"There could be days were I was scared to shake people's hands because the amount of pain - I couldn't clench a fist.

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Laughter the best medicine for incurable disorder

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