I was diagnosed with JRA when I was 2. It started in my foot, moved to my left knee, and stayed there. It was pretty bad - I limped everywhere, it always hurt, and my poor muscles in that leg were weak. It started to get better slowly when I was about 9, and by the time I was in high school, it was almost normal.
When I was 15, though, it came back worse than ever. I think it was a combo of wearing high heels to dances, beginning to run on a treadmill, and the weather and lifestyle changes Hurricane Katrina brought me. Right after Homecoming, my other knee, right foot, middle finger and thumb started hurting and swelling. Eventually, I had to physically drag myself with my arms onto the floor from my bed, and to the shower to stretch my joints.
That died down after a couple years, fortunately.
Now I'm 20, my knee is normal temp and not swollen, and I can stretch it all the way!! Also, I'm still building up muscle in the leg, so it's getting to look pretty regular. But while the old pain is gone, there's still a cracking sound when I stretch it, occasional stiffness, sometimes some aching, I still can't run on it (it feels like it'll shatter), I can't kneel on it at church, and after a while at work, it gets sore and stiff, and so does my hip for some reason. It just feels so delicate - not at all like my right leg. I'd like to know what this means. For my future.
I'd love to be a runner. I want to kneel at my wedding - the whole time!! I want to be able to work this dang retail job as long as I need to. I just need someone to give it to me straight. What exactly is this and will it ever go away?