How long did it take you to get a diagnosis for AxSpA/AS?

It can take years to get a diagnosis for axial spondyloarthritis/ankylosing spondylitis. On average, it can take somewhere between 8-11 years from initial symptom onset to get diagnosed. However, many in the community have expressed that they experienced pain from AxSpA for far longer before receiving a diagnosis. Our advocate, Dyana, wrote about her sixteen year journey to get a diagnosis for nr-AxSpA.

Many community users have had vastly different experiences in getting a diagnosis. Please consider sharing your diagnosis story below by answering the following question(s): How long did it take you to get a diagnosis for AxSpA/AS?

Some additional questions to consider: What doctors or types of specialists did you see? What was your experience like?When and how did you first learn about AS/AxSpA?What diagnostic tests were important in confirming your diagnosis?