Columns

September 3, 2020September 1, 2020

Injuries Can Be a Big Deal With Juvenile Arthritis

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

While I like watching sports, I have never been an athletic person. So, naturally, gym class was always my least favorite. But my disdain for gym class went beyond ... Read more

August 27, 2020August 26, 2020

Getting a Diagnosis Sometimes Brings Considerable Relief

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

When I was a child dealing with undiagnosed juvenile arthritis, my mum struggled to have a provider listen to her concerns. I remember her telling me about the show ... Read more

August 13, 2020August 11, 2020

5 Overlapping Symptoms of JA and Depression

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

Being a teen is tough, and it’s no secret that teens with juvenile arthritis tend to have higher incidences of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems. Neither is ... Read more

August 6, 2020August 3, 2020

4 Ways to Ease the Pain of Biologic Injections

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

You’d think that the last thing a parent ever expects to learn is that their child has arthritis. But in reality, many people are more shocked to learn that ... Read more

July 30, 2020July 28, 2020

Sometimes Kids With Juvenile Arthritis Need Encouragement

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

I’ve heard it said that when you suffer from chronic pain, everything takes twice the effort. I know I feel that way, especially during flares, when it feels like ... Read more

July 23, 2020July 28, 2020

For a Child Newly Diagnosed With JA, There’s Hope for the Future

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

Even after I had suffered from symptoms for years, being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis brought a lot of fear and hopelessness. I wondered what my future would look like. ... Read more

July 16, 2020July 14, 2020

When Juvenile Arthritis Becomes the Butt of the Joke

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

It’s hard as a child to deal with bullying. Unfortunately, kids with chronic illnesses can be frequent targets. Not every child with juvenile arthritis deals with this issue, but ... Read more

July 9, 2020July 6, 2020

‘Inside Out’ Helps Kids With JA Talk About Their Feelings

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

I’m a giant Disney nerd. So when “Inside Out” came out a few years ago, I had to see it. While I loved the jokes and colorful animation, I ... Read more

July 2, 2020June 30, 2020

Is Remote Learning the Best Option for Kids with JA?

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

I chuckled, looking at pictures of my little cousin on a Zoom call with her classmates. It looked like the world’s cutest business meeting. Twenty smiling faces, so happy ... Read more

June 25, 2020June 23, 2020

How to Thoughtfully Raise Awareness About Juvenile Arthritis

Columns, Life with Juvenile Arthritis

Ten years ago, a Disney Channel special inspired me to start an online journal. Almost every day after school, I curled up next to the family dog and wrote ... Read more