The Girl With Arthritis

I've touched base upon this topic before, but I would like to again, just because I find it fascinating. Since I was very young, I've gotten along better with people who were older than me. It wasn't until I was about fifteen that I began to get along with my peers. Regardless, I've had the ability to talk with adults and preferred the company of a more mature person than people of my age (though not always). But the one touchy topic I hate to bring up with adults, especially older adults, is my psoriatic arthritis. Believe it or not, I prefer telling other young people about it rather than older adults. Of course, this isn't always the case, but a good portion of the times. Adults often compare me to themselves, who are beginning to wake up with an achy back or their hands aren't what they use to be. More often than I care to admit, they'll begin to compete with me to see who has it worse; I like to let them win so they feel special. Sometimes they just...

I never liked him, and I don't think he liked me. That was fine by me. I was very quiet and an easy target. He was very loud and brash, and even at my ripe age of eleven I found him extremely obnoxious. I was glad when we didn't have classes together- it meant I could get my work done without comments that turned me red in anger and embarrassment. I was often picked on by my classmates, but he made my blood boil- somehow, he always knew just what to say or do to make me angry. One time he sprayed a pungent cologne in my face, and laughed when I scowled. Every day, I wished he would go away. I hated him, and I don't think he ever liked me. I haven't thought about him in years, and I don't think he thought of me either. Why would we when there was no reason to? We went on to go to different schools in different towns, and we never crossed paths again. With no mutual friends- not even Facebook friends- there was no reason we would ever need to remember each other, ...

I find it funny how adults preach to children that they should treat those with disabilities no differently from others, however adults tend to do the opposite. When I tell my peers about being chronically ill, I don't usually get treated differently after. It does happen, and sometimes it's with extra consideration. It's really nice. Adults, on the other hand, usually treat me differently from others. Occasionally it's just to make sure I'm doing okay, which is always appreciated. Other times it's as if they don't believe me. But more often than not, it's just different from other kids. Adults are often surprised I lead a more normal life than they expect. I would like to set the record straight: People with chronic illnesses are normal people.  I'm not a hypochondriac. I'm not a saint. I'm not looking for attention. I'm a teenager with a chronic illness. I'm a girl who loves her friends. I think homework is the bane of exis...

Children: Some people love them, others don't. Teenagers: Mostly everyone hates them. Maybe that's an overstatement, but that's how I usually feel. I know, I know: We're annoying. We're these disproportioned, pimply creatures that expect to be treated as adults, act like children and have unpredictable moods. I can't really blame you for rolling your eyes every time you see a rowdy group of teenagers walk by. But, I was wondering if we could stop the 'all teenagers are annoying and rude' stereotype? Please? I don't know if this is a world wide phenomenon or if it's just me, but some adults treat me very... Well, not with the respect I treat them with. For example, I was waiting to pay for something at a store. There were two women in front of me. The cashier greeted the Both of them very kindly. Then it was my turn: the cashier wouldn't look at me and didn't even speak to tell me my total, even though I greeted her. One time I was out r...

Depending on where you live, it may or may not be bullying awareness week. Regardless of where you live, every week should be bullying awareness week. It's a huge issue that no longer is an issue within only schools but even in home with the increasing use of social media. Bullying within the work place is also becoming a huge issue too. Bully is an extremely common thing to be a victim of and/or witness. I know I have. When I was younger, I wasn't bullied horribly by other children. I had lots of times where I was miserable, but it could've been much worse. I do recall, however, being bullied by teachers an awful lot. I was a very quiet and sometimes sensitive child- I cried one time whilst reading a book about kittens. Alright, I was a really sensitive child. But it's not an excuse for a child to be afraid to speak because she liked the silence more than her ears being filled with insults from the mouths of her peers and instructors. I haven't dealt with bull...

When I was little, there were a few children in my class who had allergies to peanuts. Obviously, at the age of nine I didn't know much about allergies since they never really affected me. We were informed that we needed to wash our hands after eating things with peanuts in them, and then the teacher allowed us to ask questions about the allergies. One of the children asked about if chocolates are okay, and one of the children with allergies said that it was okay only if they weren't made in the same place as peanuts were. That made me think about my favourite chocolate things so I asked, "Are chocolate biscuits okay?" And one of the children smiled and said, "yes, I love those." "It's not a chocolate  allergy, of course chocolate biscuits are acceptable," My teacher barked at me. Even though I still had more questions, I didn't ask anymore. I didn't like feeling dumb so I just sat quietly and hoped someone else asked the questions I ...

For children and teenagers with arthritis, there is one thing we hear very often. "You'll grow out of your arthritis." And no, it's not [usually] paediatric rheumatologists who tell kids this. It's other adults. It's the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbours, teachers, and sometimes even parents and other doctors. They don't know better and believe it is true, and may give them comfort to believe. They've heard it before: You can't possibly come up with that idea yourself. So who was that person who spread the idea? Lot's of people, actually. It is said that about seventy five per cent of children with arthritis in four or fewer joints will 'outgrow' arthritis without the need of drugs. It is extremely common for children to only have four or fewer joints affected, so it's very probable that the story of someone's child outgrowing arthritis would spread. Another problem is that many people don't understa...

So we've heard about my horrible gym teachers (' Horrible Gym Class '). But what I haven't told you about is my horrid health teacher. We'll call her Miss A. Miss A was a new teacher, who had only just graduated the year before. We were the first class she had ever taught. And by the end of it, I prayed we would be the last. Although she started out quite nice, it quickly escalated. At this point in my life, I was diagnosed as just juvenile idiopathic arthritis. I was also taking Methotrexate and wasn't feeling well- I was always feeling sick and cold. Rest assured, I had no tolerance for nonsense. Unfortunately, that's all the class was. I would like to let you know right now that she knew I was sick. She knew all about my arthritis and getting shots and stuff. In one particular class, we were talking about drugs. The ones you inject, in particular. That's when Miss A informed us that the more often you have injections, the more likely you are to ...

I've understood that people are not supposed to experience pain for a long time. I knew the concept at the age of eight, and understood completely by age ten. I know that sounds a bit impossible, but I've had arthritis since I was a baby and I grew up in pain. I didn't know that wasn't right. It's not that I wasn't in pain, it's that I assumed everyone felt the same. When no one else complained or talked about it, I assumed I wasn't supposed to either. Despite being stiff and limping, no one really asked me if I was in pain. I just thought it was completely normal until I flared when I was eight. All of a sudden, it was okay if I didn't want to run about like the others. The adults would tell the children, "Elizabeth's hips hurt," and I would get to sit and play my own games. It was amazing, but I didn't truly think my pain was out of the ordinary until I got a bit older. To this day, I still forget. I still assume everyone on the...

The other day whilst going through some old notebooks and folders, I found my diary. I was eleven years old when I began to write in it, and it was a few months after I began seeing a rheumatologist. We didn't know what type of arthritis I had at that point, and we wouldn't for about two more years. Anyway, I couldn't help but share some of my eleven years old thoughts with you. I'm sure that little Elizabeth wouldn't mind. "We played football today in gym. The teacher wouldn't let me sit out when I began getting really painful, so I started to think about Beatles songs and that made me feel better. I was able to finish the game this time too." Aww. Good job little Elizabeth! If you want to read about that mean teacher, click here . By the way, that game only consisted of following behind a group of children who thought it was the Olympics. "I don't know how I feel about having arthritis. I'm not in denial, I'm not happy, but I a...

I'm obviously not a young teenager. However, I once was. And I was a young teenager with arthritis too. That was not a fun time at all. Not only was my body going through all those awkward phases, but I had to deal with arthritis, medicines, side effects and a lot of emotional pain from all that. It's hard to forget life back then. Recently I've thought about that time. And I'm willing to share some of it in the form of confessions. And now I present Confessions of a (Young) Teenager with Arthritis. 1. My mood swings were both hormones and medicine. It's not well known that many medications can cause mood changes in people. Thus it's not surprise that I was very moody. Whilst it doesn't happen to everyone, it happened to me. Fridays were my Methotrexate days and the rest of the weekend could be miserable at times. It was very bad at times, so much so I said a lot of things I still regret. 2. I felt alienated from my peers. Okay, I never exactly fit in wi...

I'm most likely correct when I say people with arthritis or any other chronic illness has probably heard one of these before. And being the very sarcastic teenager I am, I always have a great responce. :) "Autoim- what? Is it contagious?!" Autoimmune arthritis means that my own body is the cause of my arthritis. There are very many types of autoimmune diseases  out there, and most of them are chronic. And no, it's not contagious... sometimes I like letting people think that for a moment though. "Arthritis? Do you have hip replacements?" No.. I don't have hips of steal. Unfortunately, since most people associate arthritis as an old person's disease it is just expected that all of us have titanium joints. "If it hurts so much, why don't you use a wheelchair?" If you're not in pain at all, why aren't you moving all the time? "Why don't you take the medicine I saw on television?" Because it's not a...

Recently whilst on YouTube, I came across several videos that are supposed to help children cope with going into hospital and getting tests. They are usually live action and consist of the three phrases 'It's no big deal,' 'it might hurt a little,' and 'great job!' These aren't new to me because when I was younger, I would watch them if I needed a test or something. Actually, I still watch them now if I need a test I'm not firmiliar with. Anyhow, one film refered to all the children who got a needle as 'super patients.' So since I give myself shots twice a week, am I an 'extra super patient?' Joking aside, it was nice to see how nurses helped children find coping techniques when they were getting needles and such. I like how holding the child down whilst they cry and try to kick is no longer the only thing we can do for the nervous child- or adult. I've seen videos of kids having Methotrexate or Enbrel injected by their paren...

Confessions of a teenager with arthritis. 1. I am embarrassed. Embarrassed of my knees, my weakness, stiffness, pain, and most especially my limp. I don't want to bring attention to my legs or be the only person walking in the corridor, and I truly hate that my face gives away pain. 2. I know people think I'm faking, and why wouldn't they? I'm a seemingly healthy, young lady and I must obviously be looking for attention. Even doctors are suspicious and every time there is a fluctuation in my weight, I know they instantly suspect eating disorders. It couldn't possibly be the new medicines. 3. It's hard to relate to kids my own age about a lot of things: you don't realise it, but chronic illness changes a lot in your life. I talked about this in my post 'Arthritis Normal.' A lot of kids my age think its odd that I take my time getting where I need to and that I don't enjoy parties, as well as other things. 4. As much as I would like to be i...

Avoiding your problems doesn't fix them, and hiding from them doesn't make them go away. I know, when there is just too much stress it's very tempting to just stay home and sleep in. And when there's a conflict at work, avoiding it completely seems to be the  best fix. But, unfortunately, that is not the case. Like our fears and emotions, we have to face our problems, and even fix them if possible. Even if we're tired, stressed and just feeling broken: We can't let our problems dominate our lives and how we run them. I cannot ignore Arthur. I cannot hide from Arthur. I cannot run from Arthur. Arthritis is demanding! I've had to face him day after day! He's a part of me, and even if I tried to ignore him, it would only make him worse! He's already a pain in the joint as it is, I don't need to encourage him. If I didn't care for him, I'd most likely be in the worse flair of my life and I'd probably begin having a lot of trouble gettti...

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...

When you're tired, everything is painful. Joints are painful. Moving is painful. Colours, cold, light, and sound hurts too. Currently I'm curled up with a blanket because it's not nearly as painful as sitting up. Today is not a good day. It's odd how one day your on top of the world, and then the next day you don't think you can open your eyes, forget open the door and go out in the world. But you go out anyway, because you know you have to push on. And while you carry on, the world seems to want your attention more than ever. Things pop up from nowhere and need to be completed. People need you to be here and there and everywhere. And worse, pain demands to be felt. There are times I forget that despite youth promising energy, I still have arthritis and I am going to have days where I feel horrible. It's not so hard to push on than to accept reality. I'm a young kid. I want to go out and do things with my life. It's disappointing to have 'an old ...

It's been a late night with all the art projects, I apologise for the late-ish post. "Can kids with arthritis play sports?" This questions stumps many people. And the answer is not really shocking. Short answer: Yes. Absolutely, kids can play sports. Long answer: Maybe. It really depends on the kid and the sport. I know a lot of kids with arthritis. When I say a lot, I mean at least twenty. And I must say, they are probably the toughest lot of kids I know. Some of these kids do horseback riding, swimming, dance, gymnastics and all sorts of fun things. And then there are some who have trouble getting off vans, standing up from a chair and other things. However, I think that the myth 'kids with arthritis can't do sports' is positively false. Perhaps not all kids with arthritis are able to do sports, but a lucky some certainly can (and take advantage of that blessing). When people find out I have arthritis, sometimes they say "So that must keep ...

Dearest Life, I would like you to know something: I'm smart, and I'm proud of it. Of course, I may not appear to be proud of it. You know, like today in class when in a brief moment of confidence, I raised my hand and I told the teacher my take on a piece of figurative language. Though she was amazed at the depth of my take, I felt terribly embarrassed: While I talked, the entire class laughed. Nobody made a joke, or a funny face. They were just laughing at me. I wanted to cry. I wanted to take back that moment of courage and trade it for a hundred opportunities I would miss because of a lack of courage. But you know what? It was worth it. It was worth it because of all the times kids picked of my limp. Because of all the times my joints cracked and people stared at me. Because of all the times I cried from when I pushed myself to keep up with the kids so they wouldn't laugh at me again. It was worth to be laughed at because of something I am proud of a...

People tell you all the time that being a child is the best time of your life. I believe it too. In the same way though, I can't wait to be grown up. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm quite happy with my life: all of it. That's all.