I thought I was too young to get arthritis in my 30's...

[emandedmum]

Before being diagnosed with RA I knew very little about the disease. Actually if I admit it, I knew nothing.

Like most people I assumed it mainly affected the older generation. This feeling being exacerbated by sitting in waiting rooms full of elderly patients that had swollen and misshapen joints. Distorted men and women with walking sticks and frames who were mainly shuffling about in pain. There is always a lot of shuffling in such waiting rooms. Even I used to do it.

What made me feel even more isolated was the fact that I was the only one there of my age. There I was in my 30's scared half to death by this thing. I became pre-occupied with how it was going to affect me, scouring the waiting room for my future self...scary to say the least and not at all helpful now I think about it!

It didn't even cross my mind then, that there would be people out there that are my age and younger also suffering from RA. That there were little babies and toddlers and tweenies and teenagers going through what I was going through. That they will have to struggle through for a much greater part of their life than I will. I've already had a good pop at mine so who the blooming heck am I to moan and groan?

So I'd like to share this with you. It is a link to a fab new website especially created for children with Juvenile Arthritis. It's funky and child friendly. Children can find out information abut JRA that's secifically tailored to their age group and it's got useful stuff on there for grown ups too.

arthritistoday.org/kgat/ind...

"Kids get arthritis too".

[Hidden]

Wow Jo great post and fab link! I have friend with a 13 year old daughter who has had JRA since the age of 2. She works at the surgery and we often exchange thoughts on RA. I will pass on the link to her. Thank you very much

[nicki18]

I was in late 30's and got RA and like you was very scared and thought it was something older people got. It was affected my family at first as my husband has been disabled from birth so our world fall apart. Now with great help from doctors and hospital and support from my family life is greatly improved. Great link forJRA and will pass on.

[Hidden]

I'm mid-thirties and just diagnosed. Already tired of people responding "You're too young for that!" when I tell them. "No, that's osteo-arthritis. Different. This is an immune disorder."

When I was a teenager, I knew a girl with JRA. I had no appreciation of her strength.

[emandedmum in reply to Hidden]

You never do unless it happens to you though, which is true for many, many things in life. I never appreciated what a tough job motherhood was until I had my own