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Did you know, even children can get arthritis, and its really quite prevalent among young adults? |
The Faces of Arthritis
And You Thought It Just Affected Older People?
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Kathy
Harriett
Amye Leong, patient advocate and BJD Global spokesperson, has lived with rheumatoid arthritis since she was a teenager
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Kathy
I remember having knee pain off and on since high school. In my early 40s I fell, tearing my medial meniscus. This was taken care of with arthroscopic surgery by an orthopaedic surgeon. The pain was better after surgery. However, several years later the pain has returned, and I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. My knee is frequently quite swollen and stiff, with pain that increases with activity and use. Bending, getting up from the floor, and extensive walking are problematic. I find myself monitoring steps closely, as turning and twisting may result in increased pain. Previously, I was walking 4-5 miles a day, and weight control was much easier. Now, distance walking is not possible, and the pain and stiffness often makes exercising quite difficult. The pain is beginning to limit my activities. I have tried most NSAIDs. When I maintain a balanced routine of exercise, moderate sitting and walking, and application of ice when needed, my symptoms are better controlled. Although I have been told that I will probably need knee replacement surgery, I would like to delay surgery as long as possible.
Harriett
Im an 82 year old grandmother and have been a DAV (Disabled American Veterans) volunteer for over three decades. I was on the verge of ending my service to South Texas Veterans because of incapacitating pain in my knees that could not be controlled with medication. An orthopaedic total joint surgeon took x-rays of my knees and saw that the protective cartilage lining had almost completely worn away, leaving my femur (thigh bone) and tibia (lower leg) rubbing together bone on bone. The surgeon replaced the joint surfaces in my knee with highly polished metal and a newly developed plastic. I spent only a few days in the hospital and completed my physical therapy as an outpatient. Now Im back making the rounds of the Veterans hospitals.
Jenna Collins
"At the age of thirteen arthritis was not a problem I ever thought that I would have to deal with. Throughout elementary school I was active in sports, playing baseball, softball, and tennis; I was even planning on joining the track team. However it soon became an issue when I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in seventh grade. This diagnosis marked the end of what I considered to be a normal life, and the beginning of one filled with trips to the hospital, X-rays, MRIs, and continual limping. Despite multiple treatment attempts, including weekly injections and intense physical therapy, nothing seemed to stop the steady progression of the disease.
Finally, the summer before my sophomore year of high school, I had my left hip replaced. I spent six weeks on crutches and several more in physical therapy, and I am thankful for every second of it. The quality of my life has improved tremendously, and even though I have limitations, they are a small price to pay for what I now have.
It is true that having arthritis never really bothered me; I always simply accepted it for what it was. However, there were always those moments that made me stop and sigh. I couldn't ride the roller coasters at theme parks, I had trouble sitting and driving in a car, I couldn't go for long walks, even around the grocery store, without becoming sore, and, of course, I was singled out at school. I was only teased once, and it was startling to realize that people can be so mean-spirited. Despite this, I never let arthritis affect the way I lived my life. I remained optimistic and dedicated to school, and to music. My friends and family always been very loving and supportive, and I am grateful every day for their presence in my life. Now, as a freshman in college, I have trouble remembering exactly what it was like before the operation. No one even knows that I have an artificial hip unless I tell them. I know that someday I will have to go through the process again, and it is a price I will gladly pay. Thank you to my friends, my family, and my doctors, for helping me to become the confident, determined, and optimistic person I am today."
Bill Collins
"For me, it wasn't long ago that arthritis was just a word in the dictionary, something an older person had. It was a condition that I had no personal experience with. Now, at age 49 with both hips replaced and my daughter, Jenna, fighting the same disease, arthritis is a word that that evokes memories of chronic pain, doctors visits, X-rays, medications, and surgery. It has been a long and sometimes discouraging journey. In my case, by the time I sought medical attention the disease was too far progressed to expect anything but surgery to ultimately help. I can remember well what my GP said when he first looked at my X-rays: "You have the hips of an eighty year old man." All I could do was treat the pain and wait for surgery. When Jenna, my oldest daughter, was first diagnosed at age 13 with a similar condition we had high hopes that we could prevent the destruction in her hip joints with early intervention. This was probably the most frustrating process of all: trying a therapy, waiting weeks for the next X-rays to see if any changes had occurred, and then feeling utterly devastated when the pictures showed continued damage. This process repeated itself over and over. On one occasion there was the promise of a miracle when an expensive, new, and very powerful drug became available, but the miracle never came, and even with her doctors doing their very best, we could not halt the disease. She now has one of her hips replaced and is doing well. We hope her other hip, which is not as damaged, can hang in there.
Surgery for me was a turning point. I was taking quite a lot of pain medication and couldn't sleep without it. My mobility was becoming severely limited and physically I was able to do less and less. My family, while very supportive, was suffering along with me. Having my hips replaced, while no picnic, has made an enormous difference in the quality of my life. I still have limitations with the artificial joints; I need to be aware of certain bending rules, and it's recommended that I not engage in any high-impact activities like running or jumping. However, because of my condition, I was not able to participate in any of these things before my surgery. My life is very much improved; I am much more mobile and flexible now, there is very little discomfort left, and I'm no longer taking any pain medications.
I'll be forever thankful to those many people who have worked so hard to develop these skills and technologies, and grateful to my wife and family for their love and support before, during and after my surgeries.
My earnest hope is that an intervention can be designed to prevent or arrest this disease before surgery becomes necessary. We have a very personal stake in this; my youngest daughter was just X-rayed last week and may have the same condition developing. My wife and I may be looking ahead at yet another difficult journey."
To learn more about arthritis and chronic joint conditions, visit the sections to the top left of your screen for more information and resources.
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