JUVENILE ARTHRITIS: Runs in the Family

I woke up one day when I was 16 years old with sharp elbow pain, which was so unusual.  That elbow pain progressed to hands and knees - the swelling was so crazy that the doctors had to drain my joints with syringes - not fun.  I was soon diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis ran in my family, my mother and grandmother both had it, so I guess I was genetically predisposed for it.  The doctors gave me a lot of medication which made me super tired in my last year of high school and gained so much weight from the steroids, but I made it through and graduated!

I will say that I was in serious pain most of the time and walking was difficult.  I lived with this for 4 years and was a sophomore in college when the doctors wanted to give me the most powerful medications but the side effects were too great, like blindness and kidney failure.  So at the age of 20 I decided I wouldn’t take that medication and would just live my life as best as possible …I actually did everything I wasn’t supposed to do like run or exercise due to joint pain.  But I felt better after exercising, so I did and then started running, and my joint pain and swelling got better.  By the time I was 25 years old my arthritis went into remission, and I do believe healthy lifestyle, eating healthy, running, no alcohol or smoking were key to my remission.  I keep on running and hope others will do what they can to enjoy their life even though suffering with their conditions.  Sometimes, good things can happen and remission can happen. 

Be strong my young friends. 

C.S.