Whenever somebody hears the word “arthritis,” young children aren’t usually the first people that come to mind. There is a form of arthritis that affects children, though: it’s an autoimmune disease called Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). According to rheumatology.org, about 1 child in every 1,000 develops some type of chronic Arthritis. I was that one child. At the age of 6 years old I began having symptoms, and by the age of about 9 years old I was officially diagnosed with JRA. In my case, it affects both of my knees, but primarily the left knee. At just 10 years of age, I began taking typical RA mediations called methotrexate and Celebrex. Because of how toxic long-term use of methotrexate is, I have to get blood work done every 6 months to ensure my liver is still functioning correctly, and I have to get my eyes checked every year for uveitis associated with JRA. I also have to be careful with exposure to germs because the methotrexate has damaged my immune system.
I was only 6 when I began showing symptoms of JRA. The first symptom was little red spots all over my legs. They were so painful and itchy, and for years doctors couldn’t explain it or figure out what was wrong with me because it was just so rare in children. I underwent many blood tests, and even had a piece of skin removed from my leg for testing purposes. Still, nothing. Eventually my knees started swelling up and becoming extremely inflamed. After a few years, doctors finally realized what I had and officially diagnosed me with JRA. I was put on medications, and my symptoms began to tame themselves…for a couple years. Every now and then, my knee(s) still swell up, requiring me to get them drained and injected with cortisone. Every time my knee swells up, more damage is done to the cartilage and the less movement I have with it.
As I entered 4th grade, I noticed the range of motion in my knees were not nearly as good as my friends, and I began to understand that I wouldn’t be able to do all the things that most young children could do. During PE class, I had to sit out for most of it and watch the kids have fun. I was limited to the physical activities that I could do. I wasn’t allowed to ice skate, play heavy contact sports, or even wear heels. My arthritis made me stick out, so of course, because I stuck out I was bullied. One specific instance that I remember was in 5th grade when I had my first crush. I remember telling a few people about it and eventually he found out. But to my absolute horror, as soon as he found out I liked him he said, “I would never date someone with a disease!” Although this was only in 5th grade, that very moment was something that shaped how I saw myself for a very, very long time. I became very shy and self-conscious; I believed wholeheartedly that I would never find someone who would love me because I had this disease. As the years went by, I learned that this was not the case at all. I’ve experienced love and found people who didn’t judge my disease but, rather, embraced it.
Ever since I was a child, I aspired to be a nurse. I think it stemmed from having to learn so much information about my JRA, and I wanted to help people like me. Throughout high school, my ambition grew, and I never thought of being anything else aside from a nurse. Then, I began college. Freshman year of college, I was a nursing major. I excelled in all my science classes with ease. Everything was going great, but around November of 2016, I began working at JCPenney. I really loved it there, but I noticed that with this simple retail job I could barely make it through 8 hours of constant standing. Reality was kicking in; I hadn’t considered my disease and how it would affect the quality of work that I would be able to do as a nurse. Although it pained me, I knew deep down that I was not physically capable of being a nurse the rest of my life. So, I decided to let go of the idea and do a little soul searching, which is how I ended up becoming an English major. English was always my best subject and always interested me the most. Becoming an English major was one of the best decisions I have made, and because of this turn of events, I was brought to the path that I’m meant to be on. I have met so many great people and have had so many opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have, had I not changed my major.
Over the years, I have grown so much and learned how to handle this disease to the best of my ability. I learned that I can still stay active and I have gotten familiar with my physical limits. Because I learned how to manage life with JRA, it has become a lot easier to live with it. I also learned to accept the fact that I will have this for the rest of my life, that it is a part of who I am and is just as beautiful as the rest of me, but it does not define me. Yes, it may limit some of the things I can do in life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t find happiness. I’ve gained a sense of pride in the fact that I have JRA, as it makes me unique, and I take every chance I can to educate people about it.