In the fall of 1998, our lives were seemingly "normal". I was blessed with two wonderfully healthy children who kept me busy yet content. My son, Alec, was 6 years old at that time and was starting Grade 1 in school. His 4 year old baby sister, Jessie, was starting preschool.
September went by smoothly and the children were adjusting to school and I was adjusting to my new roll of "soccer mom" and "chauffer" to my young childrens' social schedule.
Early October my daughter, Jessie, had a noticable limp. I assumed what most parents would "She has probably twisted her ankle or something and it will pass." One evening I was helping Jessie with her bath. As I washed her feet she screamed out in pain and began crying. Of course, this took me off-guard and I asked her what was wrong. She told me "Mommy, you pinched my toe!" I looked at her toe and noticed that it was swollen. Well, now I knew why she was limping and, again, I assumed that this would pass. After a few weeks Jessie was still limpig. That is when I decided that a trip to the pediatrician was in order. After the pediatrician examined Jessie he came to the same conclusion that I did "She must have bumped her toe...she'll be alright." So, I took her home and waited. Over the next few weeks the limping worsened and another appointment to the pediatrician was made. This time, the pediatrician basically told me that I was a nervous mother and if I were patient this would pass. Well, I thought to myself "Maybe he's right? Maybe I am a nervous mother?"....still, my instincts kept telling me something was wrong.
Time passed and the limping continued.
One morning, in early December, I was helping Jessie get ready for school. She was sitting on the bathroom floor getting dressed. I tossed her jeans to her and told her to pull them on. After I had turned to get a hairbrush from the closet I noticed that Jessie hadn't pulled her jeans on and asked her why she hadn't. Jessie burst into tears and sobbed "Mommy, I can't stand up!" Needless to say she was back in the pediatricians office that same day. Again, the pediatrician began to tell me to be patient and I found myself screaming at him "This is NOT normal! My daughter cannot stand up!" It was only then that he decided to send Jessie to the lab for blood work and ordered Xrays to be taken (and even then, I think it was to shut me up!).
The Xrays were negative for any fractures or abnormalities. When the lab results were in the pediatrician called me and said that he wanted her to be seen by a pediatric rheumatologist at the University of Michigan/Motts Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor MI. Jessie's Sed rate was high, she had a positive ANA and her platelets were too low. So, the appointment was made for early January 1999 and a proper diagnosis was finally made. Jessie had pauciarticular JRA. A month later, she was also diagnosed with uveitis/iritis (inflammation of the eyes which is JRA related). Medications were started along with physical therapy and our lives, as we knew them, would never be the same.
Six months later, Jessie's diagnosis changed from pauciarticular JRA to polyarticular JRA because more joints became involved. At this time, she has arthritis in the following joints: big toe, both ankles, both knees, hip, shoulder, neck and eyes. |
