Pure Parents

Question:

Hello all, I have an 11 yr. old with JRA.  Just looking for any support and ideas that might be around.  The amount of information is mind boggling and the various results even more disturbing.  I would like to here from other parents whose child has JRA and how they are doing. Thanks

Response:

Hi and welcome. Don’t have much advice for you or your daughter, but I did want to welcome you both aboard. Keep Smilin’ ~Krissy Visit my web page at: http://members.aol.com/KrissyJo/RA.html "The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that  in which one has not laughed." Nicolas Chamfort

Response:

>Hello all, I have an 11 yr. old with JRA.  Just looking for any support >and ideas that might be around.  The amount of information is mind >boggling and the various results even more disturbing.  I would like to >here from other parents whose child has JRA and how they are doing.

Welcome to our newsgroup.  The posts here are mostly related to adult RA, but as a mom whose daughter has JRA, I have learned alot about various aspects of the disease here.  And, IMHO, the folks here are very supportive. (Thanks guys!) My daughter was diagnosed at age 3 with pauciarticular JRA.  She is 17 now, and her disease has progressed to polyarticular, but she’s doing well, driving, starting her senior year in HS, and planning for college in the near future. She has taken various  Rx, including methotrexate and gold, and is now on Lodine.  She also takes St. John’s Wort,  which has helped her so much in dealing with her "down times", when she struggles with insecurity about being different than her peers.  She is smart, and funny, and kind, and pretty, and an absolute delight to her family.  She deals with pain on a daily basis, and she has good friends who support and help her.   Our proudest moment came last year when she spoke at an assembly in front of 500 of her classmates, and told them what it’s like to have a chronic disease.  It took alot of courage for her to do that, but then, facing her disease each day is a act of immense bravery. Excuse me for gushing, but she is my darling daughter, and has faced to much in the past 14 years. Have you gotten in touch with the American Juvenile Arthritis Organization? They have been very helpful to us.  Their web site is: http://www.arthritis.org/ajao/ Also, there is a bulletin board for parents of kids with JRA.  It’s address is: http://rainforest.parentsplace.com/dialog/get/ newchildarthritis1.html Tell us al little about your child and how she is doing and perhaps we can share ideas.   Best wishes, CarolSW

Response:

>>Hello all, I have an 11 yr. old with JRA.  Just looking for any support >and ideas that might be around.

Hi Don.  Welcome aboard.  You’ll be hearing from folks here with JRA as well as other parents.  Just wanted to welcome you and your daughter.  You’ll find alot of info and support here. Sarah L "The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they