Introducing myself

[Guest guest]

Hi there,

on the rheumatoid arthritis group told me about this one so I

joined. I was reading some of the articles posted and they are pretty

incredible.

I am 41, and was diagnosed with JRA at age 14. So I lived through

that low-key approach to treating the disease and unfortunately and

suffered severe deformities in hands and feet as a result. I really

wish they had had the foresight to think differently-- I was going to

be a classical violinist. I got as far as principal second of the New

Jersey Youth Symphony at age 15, but after that the trigger fingers

and swellings made it too difficult to improve. At age 18 I gave up

the violin.

In my early thirties I had MCP replacements on both hands and surgery

on one foot. I'm hoping to take up the violin again if I can get a

slight correction on one finger.

I'm so glad they have a different attitude to treating this disease

now-- especially for kids. Believe me it was not easy being hammered

with this just as I was an adolescent. made me very self-conscious.

Fortunately now it is pretty controlled with all the drugs and I think

it is less active anyway. I was on enbrel but switched to Remicade

for insurance reasons; however last week, one week after the infusion,

I broke out in severe hives and angiodema so I don't know when or if I

will try it again.

Anyway, though they've reclassified me as RA since I'm not " J "

anymore, just wanted to introduce myself.

Any other adult " survivors " there?

Gwen