The Girl With Arthritis

I don't mind getting needles much. I'm not scared of needles. I don't make a big deal about the little pain. I don't even loathe them at all. This isn't because I get blood tests somewhat often. This isn't because I give myself Enbrel shots twice a week. This isn't even because the pain of arthritis will always exceed a little poke. It's because of a boy with a lovely smile. A few months ago I was waiting in paediatric phlebotomy to have a blood test. The waiting room was empty when a woman pushing a little boy in a pram came in. The pram was packed with all sorts of things a mum would need on a busy day, but what was different was that there was medical equipment as well. I looked at the boy and despite being obviously ill, he wore a large smile. His mum was quite stressed out- having had a long day- and we got into a chat. She told me she really wasn't looking forward to her son's blood test. Not just because she couldn't bare to hear...

Everyday, people everywhere make a difference in the lives of people with chronic illnesses. Even people you only encounter once for a short time can make a huge difference. What's wonderful is when people who don't have to care, do care. Today,  I'd like to call them out and thank them. Dear Mrs. W, Thank you for really taking everything I was going through into consideration when you assigned class seats. I really appreciated sitting next to the heater, in the back where no one would bother me and where I could stretch out. Dear R, Even though we're just school friends, thanks for really caring when you found out I'm chronically ill.  I was so touched at how concerned you got the first time, and all the times you become concerned now. Dear Rollercoaster Attendant, Thanks for releasing the restraint for me when I couldn't do it like everyone else. I know it's a tedious job, so thanks for not appearing annoyed at all. And a huge thanks for when y...

I few years ago I had the opportunity to meet a group of sixty or so other children with arthritis. Of the about sixty, ten were boys. Research shows that women and girls get arthritis more often than men or boys. So whilst it's tempting to say that "men have it easier... again !," let us remember that even though three in four of us are most likely female, there is still a boy or man there. Of course, both women and men have a hard time! And girls and boys have it very difficult too. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be a boy with arthritis. Of course, this is just my point of view and I could be completely wrong, but I do like trying to see things from another point of view. And what I see, shows that boys have their own set of struggles. Boys are expected to be tough and just bare pain. Also, people just expect boys like to play sports so they're probably more likely picked on when they can't play or preform poorly. And, like the sports, people exp...