I am going to be 50 years old this year, and at the age of 7 I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. The symptoms appeared as early as age 4, but it took until age 7 before I received a proper diagnosis, as little to nothing was known about children and babies with arthritis. Afterall, it was the 1960s and only old people got arthritis, right?? Wrong!!!!
My life story enduring this crippling disease is a long and painful one, but the main message is that because of research children will never have to experience what I did, and can grow up to lead wonderful, pain managed lives with little to no crippling damage to their joints and other body systems. I was blessed to have been diagnosed by one of only 2 doctors on the East Coast who treated children in the 1960s. My life will always be indebted to the late Dr. F. Paul Alepa, who was a pediatric rheumatologist in research at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. When I was 16 he gave my mother and me the sad news he was leaving the East Coast for life in the Southwest, and he continued his priceless work at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and became the Associate Professor at the Department of Pediatrics.
The fact is, with the baby boomers quickly becoming the fastest growing group of senior citizens, and with more people leading athletic lives, chances are you know at least 2 people who have arthritis. And did you know that there are hundreds of forms of arthritis? Irritable Bowel Syndrome ... Crohn's Disease .... Lupus ... Gout ... Lyme Disease ... Fibromyalgia .... Scleroderma .... are all forms of rheumatic conditions, or arthritis. Over 40 million Americans live with some form of arthritis, and when we care about this we can make a difference which will affect millions live better lives.
May is fundraising time for the Arthritis Foundation, as well as November. So, PLEASE, take time to make a donation to your local chapter. Even $1 will help give more people a chance to live a life without suffering. Ask about becoming an advocate, or volunteering. Join up on one of the Arthritis Walk events near you! Remember if you can walk without pain, you can walk for millions who cannot - including me.
Thank you for your time and many blessings!
** Please read the .pdf files relating to Arthritis that are on this site and be sure to go to http://www.arthritis.org
