Welcome to Discussions

Posted on: Tue, Apr 22 2008 7:20 PM

Posted by: Peacecorpse1 Posts: 2

I don't know what to expect right now. As I said im 17 and this is my last year in highschool and i have no energy at all in order to have all the fun with everyone else. I'm taking methotrexate and enbrel, the shots scare me a lot. I'm not quezzy or anything, but it is the fact that this will be with me for the rest of my life. I'm sore everywhere, right now im haveing major problems with my knee's, my left leg wont bend, and i haven't been able to bend or use my wrist properly for over 8 months. What kind of exercises should i do? What should my diet be like? What should I talk to my doctor about? Will my life always be painful?

      Please someone, anyone, what am i to expect?

Posted on: Tue, Apr 22 2008 9:24 PM

Posted by: Lieslmcq Posts: 2,303

Oh man, I am so sorry you're going through all of that. Does your doctor have you in physical therapy? that is the first step. You'll have ups and downs, good days and bad. We can't tell you which exercises to do, but you should definitely be in therapy. Good luck! 

Posted on: Tue, Apr 22 2008 10:43 PM

Posted by: eltigra306 Posts: 21

    I know how frustrating it is at 17 to have arthritis. I developed coriatic arthritis when I was that age, my type travels to where ever it wants. I have had it in my heals toes knee's, shoulder and elbo. My sister has had juvenil arthritis since she was seven, and my dad has had ostioankalitisspondalitis(I think that is how it is spelled.) Any way from all of my experiance the worst is always the first little while. After a period of time that is undertermined things usally get better. I don;t deal with mine any more or at least very little, my sister has learned to cope farely well and at 28 play's on a local softball team, and my dad is as active as ever with only the occasional sore back. When I was 4 he was told that he would be in a wheel chair within a year. That was 26 years ago with that never happening. As for me I am dealing with arthritis again due to a severly broken ankle and I am not to concerned about the arthritis portion of my problem, but more about the posible fusion or loss of it due to a below knee amputation.

    Regaldless of what happens keep having hope things will get better. They will one way or another. I remember crying in the shower because it hurt so bad to stand and shower.(which at 17 or 18 any guy should never have to deal with.) So it will get better just give it time.

Posted on: Tue, Apr 22 2008 11:24 PM

Posted by: ArizonaSherry Posts: 377

I'm so sorry you have such a painful condition to live with.  It is sad to me to think of you going through this at such a young age. 

My mother has RA.  She was diagnosed later in life but was in horrible pain for years and developed bone spurs and cannot straighten her arms today.  She says at first she was a walking pharmacy.  She had quit taking alot of the meds one by one and eventually took only Methotrexate.  She does not know why but after about 10 years of severe suffering in her body it stopped.  We couldn't get her to eat healthy, exercise or take supplements.  She just suffered.  She has far  more energy than I and even than many healthy people today.  The post about it getting better after some time is evidently what happened to my mother.  That is encouraging to me as my last RA test was positive.

Also, I agree with Liesl about PT.  It is very important to see a Physical Therapist and keep your joints as active as possible without overdoing it.

I think as with any chronic pain sufferer it is vital to keep the hope.  Without hope we despair.  I wish you the help you are looking for.  I wish for you some pain relief and good days.

Take care,

Sherry

Posted on: Tue, Apr 22 2008 11:41 PM

Posted by: Tickmeister Posts: 21

Hi. I have arthritis caused by Lyme disease.  I would suggest you research and talk to your doctor about the current thought among some medical professionals that RA is a bacterial infection. My dr treats RA patients with Minocycline and has gotten excellent results with a number of his patients.  There is a Yahoo group for Rheumatic illnesses which you should check out. Those people are dealing with RA and similiar diseases and can recommend good doctors or good articles to read.

 I've heard wheat and corn can bother people with arthritis. Maybe eliminate one at a time from the diet for a couple weeks to month and see if you feel any different. Also I would recommend water therapy if you have access to a physical therapy place with a pool with temperature around 93 degs. There is an arthritis pool class in my town which I love going to. Also you might look into getting an occupational therapist as Voc Rehab sends one to my home and teaches me how to do things better despite my disabilities. Its hard to explain what an OT does, but I love mine she is so kind to me and helps.

Posted on: Wed, Apr 23 2008 9:18 AM

Posted by: hell0on0earth Posts: 4

hi im 13 nearly 14 and ive got juvenile idiopathic arthritis and had it for 10 years nearly 11. i understand how you feel with not being able to have as much fun beacause of pain. i was on methetrixate for 2 years and it got me really depressed and scared of needles, but my doctor sent me to birmingham and i got started on enbrel and am now doing it myself and a little happier. i find it really hard to face that i may never get rid of this disease and it scares me. i talked to my parents and the rest of my family and even friends and there endless support helped my through it. (well only my latest friends, because some people are mean and cant be bothered to even try to understand the pain in which we have to go through and the constant change in medicane, so they bullied me, but now ive got new friends that are loads better) i hope we can chat, i know there is a big age difference but i feel alone in the world, even though there are so many people around i do not know anybody else with the same disease as me and its that that makes me feel alone and the only person with this diesease

xxx jess xxx

Posted on: Wed, Apr 23 2008 5:54 PM

Posted by: Peacecorpse1 Posts: 2

I want to start out by saying thank you. Your reply has really helped me out. I understand what you mean by people bullying and being rude and the difficulty we face trying to explain it with others. I do not know how you managed going through all those years in pain especially at an even younger age then me. It's difficult to imagine. I've always thought and its not meant to be a bad thought just an abstract one. But hmmmmm . how do i word this.....Those with cancer, depending on which, know that there is a hope of a cure, a reason as to why , and how it came about, whether it is genetic, or chemicals, but with arthritis its so vague.... doctors seem to even have a hard time to identify the cause....yet so many of us have it. I really wonder why that is? I hope we can continue chating because just being able to relate and express the situation at hand. My name is melissa, if you ever just want to chat thats cool with me because i only have 1 friend. and thats it. I have a boyfriend of 3 years and he's gotten me through all my ups and downs.

I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you agaoin

~melissa~

Posted on: Fri, Apr 25 2008 4:52 PM

Posted by: Mike Posts: 112

I have RA symptoms and understand your shock, it does not matter how old you are it just hits people with out due regard, but being 17 I gues you quite scared at the way it has effected you I can simply say your not alone and at times when you feel you are just look to this site. It is amazing how people cope with adversity one of the benefits of being young is you have a lot more strength then most, its importand to keep that strength, and maintain a good diet.

and Welcome to disaboom