There are few things in this world more heart wrenching than watching your young child in pain. Moms are supposed to be able to fix everything. Those little pain wracked eyes plead with you to take it away but when it comes to chronic pain--you just can't. This is the case with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. When the disease is flaring and the affected joints are … [Read more...]
The weight of the world
I've rarely mentioned Juvenile Arthritis this past year. That's how life with JA is. When it is under control you mostly forget it. If you don't see it, it might just be an exaggerationbrought on by your fatigue, right? She's missed less school, spent less time at the doctor, and life is busy with normal stuff. Her relative well-being means that I can finish my last … [Read more...]
How to Choose the Right Pediatric Doctors
It took a couple of years to diagnose Pea's Juvenile Arthritis. I went through a few specialists that weren't really a good fit to get to the ones we have now. When she was younger the pain was intermittent and unpredictable. Plus, she was too young to verbally communicate what was bothering her. I understand that there may be health insurance restrictions. I chose … [Read more...]
I let my child make a medical decision and the nurse gave me crazy eyes
I haven't written about Juvenile Arthritis is a while. Why? Because we haven't had any juvenile arthritis flares. JA can be tricky like that. It slinks back into it's little hidey-hole only to charge back into our life when we least expect it. But last week, I walked into the living room to find my daughter sprawled out on our ottoman saying that she hurt. I thought she was … [Read more...]
My bulletproof baby
I'm bone tired this morning. I had a difficult time falling asleep and was up well past midnight. A couple hours later, Pea woke me up. She was wide awake, in what I have come to think of, as her pain position, knees up on a pillow, legs restlessly writhing. Calmly staring at me. Normally, our night time adventures start with her screaming incoherently about something … [Read more...]