New Member! | Arthritis Information

Hello, I am new to this message board. I was diagnosed with JRA when I was about 2 years old. It was first found in my ankles, then my knees. The newest joints are my wrists and possibly my fingers. I am 21 years old, a dental assistant, and I am getting married in August of this year.
I have an awesome primary physician...he has been so supportive the past 3 years (since I first starting going to him). He is the type of doctor that does not call his patients back, etc but with me, if I call the office he will call me back as soon as possible. Today I called him because recently I have been in so much pain in my left knee. I feel like someone has hit it with a sledge hammer, repeatedly (my mom jokes that its my fiancee doing in when I'm asleep). I normally take Celebrex when I have "attacks" but I am getting surgery (unrelated) a week from Monday so he put me on MethylPREDNISolone today. I am so scared...I don't know what to do and no one understands my pain...I hate talking about it because I don't want to sound like a whiner.
Not only am I going in for surgery, and getting married but I am on my parents insurance policy and I am graduating August 9 so my insurance is going to run out soon. I don't have a Rheumatologist anymore and I won't have insurance for at least a year (my fiancee's job doesn't give him benefits and he is a student for another year, my boss doesn't give benefits for at least a year). I just don't know what to do...I just need someone to talk to who can understand my pain.
oh welcome new person

its always cool to have new ppl, i was new last week lol

so u've had JRA for like 19 years wow

ive had JRA for like almost 3 months

and that seems like a long time to me lol

but anyways

have fun on the mssage board

and stuff

hello Mrs. David..

I too was JRA DX'd at age 10....... Now, I am 52 w/ RA....

Hopefully that won't be you and STarPerson... but it is my story.

IDK what to say bout being w/ out insurance for an entire year... I couldn't do it... I have to have my meds.... is there any alternative? another job that won't make you wait a year? buy a policy? go back to college full time?

ur right babs

hopefully it wont be me

or her

but i dont think it'll be me

cuz the doctor sayd so

lol

Welcome to the board! I am sorry you have found us because you have JRA, but glad you are here. I think you will find a lot of information and support here.

Congratulations on the upcoming wedding. You must be very excited. My daughter got married last August, so I know the crazy stuff that's going on right now for you. Just make sure that you get plenty of rest!

With regard to your insurance, I would strongly urge you to continue your current coverage under COBRA if you can. It will be costly, but soooo worth it. You don't want to let coverage lapse, because you could have difficulty getting coverage again, depending on what happens with your husband's job and insurance. Having a "pre-existing condition" like JRA makes keeping insurance coverage critically important! You and your mom or dad (whoever is carrying your current insurance) and you should meet with their HR person and see what your options are for continuing coverage. If you go too long without coverage, you lose the protections you have under the current laws with regard to pre-existing conditions.

I don't mean to scare you about the insurance, but it really is something you need to educate yourself on. If the new health care plan Obama is pursuing is passed it won't be as critical, but who knows what can happen when politics are involved. Protect yourself in the meantime.

Welcome! Sorry you are having so much pain and have insurance worries on top of it all. Are you on a DMARD? Maybe you need to start them instead of just taking celebrex. Thank you for your warm welcome!
If you need anything, I am here for you. I know what its like to grow up with it and I know what its like to feel completely lost (sometimes doctors dont even help, trust me).
About other medications, the thing is no doctor will put me on anything other than the NSAID (spelling). I was on Naproxen for 16 years...not even a dosage change! The last rheumatologist decided to just make me go for blood work and x-rays (once a month for 6 months, then i left her) and then she gave me naproxen of a higher dosage. Celebrex was the next step. They said it was insurance reasons. Whatever.
I am going to talk to my mom about possibly having her pay for insurance coverage for me. I have horizon bc bs (WHICH I LOVE!!!!) and I now live in NYC so I am looking into Empire (the horizon on NYC). Thank you for the advice, I never thought of it. I had a stressful day today just thinking about not having insurance for a year. I mean even my prescription coverage is amazing...I can't see paying more than 6.00 for my meds. NYC is the welfare state but unfortunatly I do not even qualify for Medicaid. Thank you all for your support and I can't wait to hear from you all again :-)!
Hi! Welcome to the board!

I was DXed with JRA when I was 18 months old, and I am now 30. Mine did not get really bad until 6 months after I had my son -- 2005. I have slowly went downhill since having my daughter in '98.

I know how it goes with being without insurance and your primary trying to help you with it all. Mine just put me on pred, but it did not help much inflammation wise. It did help pain wise for a while. He did try MTX out on me one time, but it made me hurt worse and he took me off of it, because of my weird side effects I kept having.

Celebrex use to work for me, before I had my son. Then I found out I was allergic to it, because it has sulfa in it, and it was affecting my liver.

I wish you luck with your up-coming surgery, if you do come back on here before then.

Please keep us posted!

joonie2009-06-25 23:55:38Please talk to your doctor about getting on a DMARD and if they say no- try a 2nd opinion. You need the right medicine to get your disease under control. If it's under control the pain levels go way down or even away for some! Good Luck! Welcome!!

I too hope you can get things worked out with your insurance. The doctor bills are only a small portion of the expense we incur having RA. My humira at times would have cost me more than ,000 a month had I not had precription insurance. That's not even including all the other medications I take in addition to Humira. The truth is; the best treatments are just not available to the folks that don't have insurance. No one can afford that sort of expense and meet their living expenses as well. Yes; there are assistance programs that can help but it's very difficult to go through everything you have to, to get that help.

Cobra is very expensive, but your parents might be able to help you get switched over to a personal policy for yourself. I'm sure your agent can advise you the best direction to take. I'm sure that if you switch directly from your parents policy to one of your own it's not going to be nearly as diffcult for you than if you went a year without it and then try to get it later.

Of all the things in my life that I'm grateful for....my health insurance ranks right up there with my family.

Good Luck! Again; welcome to AI.