Laughter proves to be best medicine
Standup comedy, and diet change, help Andrea Carr deal with arthritis
In January of 2009, Andrea Carr was facing an unenviable challenge. She had just been diagnosed with arthritis and she was unable to continue in her job as a customer service representative at a call centre.
“Everything was crashing around me,” she remembers. “I’m not working, I have no paycheque, you know? What’s left?”
Just months later, as Carr fought to deal with her arthritis and stay positive, she discovered a new, unlikely passion in life.
“I had seen this advertisement for standup comedy classes and I thought about it for a year, but I [ never had] the nerve to do it,” said the Surrey woman.
But after her diagnosis, she enrolled in classes at the Lafflines Comedy Club in New Westminster and began learning the ropes of standup comedy. It was a revelatory moment for Carr, who despite her nerves took to the classes eagerly.
“The first day I was terrified,” she said, noting her arthritis made it tough to climb up the flights of stairs to the class. But soon her aching bones were the farthest thing from her mind.
“It was fantastic. Because, you know, you’re not thinking about doctors, you’re not thinking [ about] blood tests. I was thinking about laughter, and riding it.”
For Carr, the experience of getting on stage and sharing her best jokes was a critical outlet.
“It was a great distraction and that’s exactly what I needed,” she said. “If I hadn’t [ had it] I probably would have been on anti- depressant pills.”
As Carr honed her standup routine, she also started to make changes to her diet to help mitigate some of the symptoms of her arthritis. She began experimenting with raw foods, became a vegan, and was able to shed some of the weight that was putting pressure on her joints.
To this day, Carr continues to maintain a vegan diet with the protein- rich exception of fish. She also continues to be active, walking long distances with her dogs every day.
“I’m feeling really good. It comes and goes. If I have a stressful day there are certain things that can be triggers.”
All told, Carr’s health and happiness have improved since she first stepped up to the mike. She is no longer taking medication for her arthritis, citing the adjustments to her lifestyle as the reason for an overall reduction in symptoms. She also returned to school and now works as a teacher’s assistant for students with special needs.
Through it all she has sustained her passion for performance as both a standup and sketch comedian.
“It feels absolutely incredible. You feel this great amount of energy coming from the audience; it just kind of crackles. It’s like nothing else.”