JRA

i might have JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis) and it's really starting to bother my everyday life. Is there a treatment or anything i can do to help it?

[monsterjam2]

There are lots of things you can do, along with things that your physician might prescribe or suggest.  First, stay as active as you can, without aggravating your condition.  Eat properly & maintain a good body weight (extra weight will cause extra wear & tear on your joints, and a good diet will provide the appropriate nutrients for healing).  You will most likely have good days & bad days.  Enjoy the good days, without going overboard!  Take the bad days for what they are worth, you won't know a good day, if you don't have bad days.  Listen to your body on the bad days & take it as easy as possible.  I try to plan at least one 'down' day per week, where I don't have to go anywhere or do anything, so I can just 'hang out' and give my body a change to regroup.
Best of luck, my thoughts & prayers for a workable solution.

[carolanivey]

I'm concerned that you aren't receiving treatment for your JRA. Are you seeing a rheumatologist? It is vitally important to treat the disease with medications that slow down or halt the progression of joint damage. Even if you're feeling relatively well but are not being treated, the underlying disease process is still going on. Some of those medications may sound kind of scary, but I made the choice to take them because I'd rather risk the remote possibility of a bad side effect than the certainty that without them, I'd be disabled.

Like monsterjam said, live as healthy a lifestyle as you can - proper diet, gentle exercise, positive mental outlook, etc. Once someone becomes sick, they learn who their real friends are. Stick with your real friends and let the negative people go. :)

Many patients find they feel better eliminating certain foods from their diet. Which ones those are depends on the person, so experiment. I know many who have done well going vegetarian, gluten free, eliminating red meat, etc.

I've had it since age 5 and am now 51, so if you have any questions or fears, don't hesitate to contact me!

[chrise4983]

My 15 year old was diagnosed at 12 and continues to struggle . He will finally be starting Enbrel in April