About Me

i'm 13 years old and have had JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis)for 10 years. i have been on severel medications including methatrixate, which i have hated and refused after a long period of depression to take it. when my doctor at rotherham general hospital couldn't think of anything else to give me they decided to send me to birmingham where i met Dr.Rider one of the best doctors i have met since i was 3 and believe me thats a lot! :) Dr.Rider then put me on enbrel injections and i am now much better, and able to inject enbrel myself. i still do physio on my own and if i get bad at the hospital. and have finally just been discharged from the NHS phsycologists (thank god!!!) lol. its been hard for me since i was little, especially with friends and have been bullied a lot about not being able to do what other kids can and the fact that i always had to sit on a chair and not on the floor. teachers have never been suportive, and always tried to make me do normal stuff which puts me in pain so that the kids woulndt complain that i was different. it wasnt until recently in year 8 that i dumped my old "friends" and got some new ones that understand me, sometimes question me but that is ok because i understand now that no one can fully understand my condition unless they are me. i have a best friend that i tell everything. life is getting better, my weight has also been a big problem because i cant move much so i have also been bullied for being fat so my self confidence has always been at an all time low. but with enbrel i am much better. i owe a lot to my mum and dad as they have been so suportive and there when i was sad and when i was angry and throwing strops because i was different or i wished i was dead, and its been really hard for all of my family. im hoping that in the future my illness will be under control and it wont effect me as much, and this is one thing i am worried about, as i am very grown up for my age i am worried about not being able to run with my kids or walk down the isle when i get married. what would really help is if there is someone that would like to email me to talk that would be great! xxx jess xxx