How did your illness begin?

[Guest guest]

What preceded it? Was it a sudden onset or gradual? I'm curious how

many of us feel we acquired these health problems. Thanks.

Donna Marie

[Guest guest]

Hi Donna Marie,

I know you asked this question about 2 weeks ago, but I still wanted to get

to it. I was diagnosed with JRA when I was 13. I had been sitting in PE,

during spring time, and looked down at my right knee and noticed it was

really swollen. I told my Mom, went to the doc, went to another doc, had my

knee drained and tested. And was told it was JRA the day before 8th grade was

to start.

I have always wondered " why " like we all have. The summer before the 7th

grade I had been out in the backyard playing volleyball with my neighbors and

when I went to hit the ball a couple of different times, and missed, I fell

flat on my back. Knocked the wind right outta me so I had to lay there a few

minutes. Then I was up and playing again.

Then school started, 7th grade, first year of junior high. Of course, I was

all excited! Anyway, I was sitting in block (English and social studies

combined-2 class periods) and when the bell rang to go to our next class, I

couldn't get up. My back had " locked " and it wouldn't bend. I had to sit

there and rock back and forth to get my back to unlock. I still remember to

this day the look on Mr. Jenson's face, my block teacher, the questioning

look he gave me, " why aren't you leaving for your next class? " Finally I was

able to get up and go to my next class. I don't remember how long that went

on, but I do remember it eventually stopped, sometime before I noticed my

knee swollen in PE. I have always thought that maybe when I fell that summer

playing volleyball and hurt my back that that triggered my JRA. I have asked

both rheumatologists I have had and they both said " no " that my falling

couldn't have triggered it. But I can't help but think it did. I mean, look

at all the people who develop arthritis " after " an injury of some sort.

My other thought of " why " is that I was 13 and going through puberty. I have

always believed that hormones play a big roll in my arthritis since every

month I go through hell. My arthritis is 10 times worse a week or 2 before my

period and starts to slow down once I start, then gets bad again, then good

until next time.

So that is the " when " and " how " it started but not quite sure of the why.

~ whose had JRA/RA 18 years now

In a message dated 5/23/00 8:35:09 PM Pacific Daylight Time,

donnam26@... writes:

> What preceded it? Was it a sudden onset or gradual? I'm curious how

> many of us feel we acquired these health problems. Thanks.

>

> Donna Marie