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Meet Ronee': Dealing With REAL Pain (Physically Disabled: Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, or JRA) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
A young girl deals with the implications of her disease by maintaining a positive outlook on life. She has lived with JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis) for nearly six years now.
I am a very lucky person, you know that?
I could be sitting here, feeling sorry for myself, but people don't like being around other people who are sad or unhappy all the time, so why even bother? I would rather be happy and smiling all the time than to be angry about something I really can't do much about!
I have had to live with pain for most of my life, and while I have bad days that have made me sick or even put me in the hospital a time or two, I still have it a lot better than a lot of people. Sure, I hurt all the time, and sure, I take medications that often mess with my body or taste nasty, but at least I am able to function (MOST of the time; some days, I need a little extra help)! I also can walk (also with help, but hey...at least I am WALKING!!) or use my wheelchair if I am especially stiff and sore; and even with that I still can get around! I also have a very good doctor who understands how it is with me (she has arthritis herself; she got it when she was young herself!), and she knows my moods and my pain. She is very knowledgeable about JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis; that's the name of my disease), and she is always on the lookout for the best treatments for me or the best medications that cause me the least side-effects. She has been my doctor since I was five years old (I was five when I was diagnosed with the JRA), and she has really been a friend besides being my doctor, and I am very glad I know her.
I have had one joint replacement surgery already (this past summer; I had my knee replaced), and I am sure I will face more in the future; but I am doing very well for a kid with my problem. There are kids with JRA who have had several surgeries already--and some are younger than me, and they are having a HORRIBLE time with their disease! While I am NEVER happy about the thought of having future surgeries for joint replacements, I AM glad I have at least ONE surgery out of the way! Since having the surgery, I get around better than I ever have since being told I have JRA, and as long as I can get around well, then that is okay by me! :D
Even with having JRA, I still have a very active and rewarding life; and I have many friends. I still go to school, I still have my friends, I still have time to play and have fun, just like any other kid, and I also find time to do things like write stories or poems, sing (I am trying to become a country/western singer), go to church (I am a Christian, and I am very happy to be one!), read the Bible or my other books, watch "SpongeBob SquarePants", "Rugrats", or "The Wild Thornberrys" on TV, and be with my family. I have a very supportive family, and they go out of their way to help me, even though there are a lot of kids in my family! We are always there for each other, and in our family there is a lot of love, joy, and laughter! My family is cool, and I love them all with all my heart and soul!
Yeah, being in pain is *ahem!* a real pain, but I try to work around it by keeping active, and trying to do something, to keep my mind occupied. I don't like to hurt (nobody does!), but pain is a fact of life for me and my disease, so I have had to learn to make the best out of a bad situation and try to live my life as normally as I possibly can, even though my life is anything BUT normal!
I may have JRA, but JRA certainly DOESN'T have ME! :D
Gemma succeeds in starting a girls' football team at her new school, but bitter rival Tyrone does everything he can to stop the girls playing. So begins a battle of wits between the girls and boys, and also between Gemma and sports teacher, Mrs Lawfo
I am a very lucky person, you know that?
