Tag Archives: juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Graci Cans for a Cure
Friday, August 14 |Arthritis Foundation

Go, Go, Go Graci! Graci Diggs Named 2015 National Youth Honoree for Jingle Bell Run/Walk

Graci Jingle Bell Run Youth HonoreeDiagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) when she was four years old, Graci has endured multiple lab tests, biopsies, injections and medications. In spite of all that, she has often remained — in her mom’s words — outgoing, funny, athletic and honest. But during a particularly bad flare when she was seven years old, her parents saw a drastic change in their daughter.

“Graci’s knee, ankle and hip flared up, and she found herself struggling to walk and keep up with her classmates,” recalls Anna, Graci’s mother. “This left her in a wheelchair for a period of time. We could see her spirit starting to fade, and we could see her slipping into depression.”

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Dina Gilmore Champion of Yes Massage Therapist
Monday, June 1 |Arthritis Foundation

Lexi : Simply Telling Her Story Leads to an Important Invitation

Lexi Polyarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid ArthritisSome rising high school seniors will scout colleges for their social scene. Many might choose a college based on its proximity — or lack thereof — to home. Others will simply go where their friends are going. Lexi Narotzky has a different set of criteria.

“我想去纳什维尔的范德比尔特，如果我能进去的话，”莱克西说。“这是一所较小的学校，我不用走那么远。校园很平坦，很容易进入，这几天我感觉不舒服。而且，这里的天气比新泽西这里的好。”

Lexi has been making choices like this since she was a toddler. Lexi clearly remembers when she was diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, even though she was just three years old.

“I remember the exact night it all started,” Lexi says. “I had just gotten home from dance class, and I was wearing my tights. All of the sudden, I couldn’t move. “

In the weeks that followed, Lexi spent many days in the hospital and visited multiple specialists. High fevers and swollen joints stumped doctors, even at some of the country’s most renowned medical institutions.
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Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient Story
Tuesday, April 28 |Arthritis Today Magazine

Meet Joy Ross- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Patient & Champion of Yes

当你患有关节炎时，你可能会不断地遇到你不能再做的事情——在你的生活中有这么多“不”。除了持续的疼痛、僵硬和疲劳，关节炎还会造成行动不便，影响你的职业生涯、社交生活或你热衷的活动。

So what can you do to turn that around – to start saying Yes again? What enables some people with chronic illnesses to live full, satisfying lives despite their disease and limitations?

Many factors come into play, and everyone’s situation is unique, but one quality that helps these people is one that anyone can develop – resilience. Experts say that the ability to navigate and even learn from adversity helps you keep going, mentally and physically, no matter what life throws your way.

“Individuals with arthritis and related diseases who find a way to be resilient tend to stick to their treatment plan more often. They manage their health better, and have an easier time dealing with negative situations, too,” says Rochelle Rosian, MD, a rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic. “Resilience allows you to make arthritis one part of your life instead of your whole story,” she says.

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