Lovie, yes, that’s interesting | Arthritis Information

Hi Lovie,

I wanted to bring you post up to the front to reply.

Lovie
Senior Member

Posted: 31 May 2005 at 1:29pm \| IP Logged

This is so weird!! Pam; you mentioned that Oscars doctors mainly looked for whether his legs were equal in length; when I was 12 (I think) I had surgery to correct a growth problem with my legs...I had one leg longer than the other!!

I had lots of pain growing up and the doctors chalked it up to "growing pains" back then. Your comment...and my history makes me wonder if I haven't had this for a very long time myself. I've actually read an article recently about this very same thing...sure makes me wonder.

Intersting stuff we share here isn't it?

Lovie

It really is interesting. it makes you wonder how far back it goes for many of us. I know my cousin is in his 50's and was diagnosed in his 40's. Symptoms have been traced back to his teens though. I remember Cristene posting that she had terrible knee pain as a child and was told it was "growing pains", only to find out in her 20's that she did in fact have RA. I wonder what percentage of people diagnosed with RA as adults had symptoms as children or young teens. Did you ever see my post after a Dr's apt with Oscar about a month or so ago? I think it was somewhere down the line in my original post "no diagnosis in site". It is almost impossible to find a gen pediatrician that will listen to concerns re ra even when you the mother of the child in question have the disease. Yeah, for wayney seems to have found one

I can't imagine that your legs being unequal would'nt be related to RA, can you? That is one of the first things they looked at on Oscar. I guess unless the symptoms in a child are very visable and somewhat severe it is a hard thing to dx.

Anyway thanks for that, I wonder if it will jog any other memories of some of our friends here.

Take care Lovie, have a good nite,

I so think you're right Pam. I think maybe back then...even just 20 years ago they just didn't know as much about the disease as they do now. Goes to show the advancements in medicine after all. Trick is just to find the right doctor to treat it.

Love the way you guys bring up a topic.

Lovie

[QUOTE=Lovie]I so think you're right Pam. I think maybe back then...even just 20 years ago they just didn't know as much about the disease as they do now. Goes to show the advancements in medicine after all.[/QUOTE]

Lovie,
I'm living proof of what they knew or didn't then. When I was dx'ed, children were not treated very aggressively. This was before Ibuprofen and naprosun were approved in children. I was on them both as studies. I also had "growing pains" as one doc put it. But, he was an idiot from the stories I've heard of him. Some people said they wouldn't take an animal to him. Old country doc. But even now...there's still the lack of easily dx'ing children. Which is so sad really. Children shouldn't have to suffer while waiting on a diagnosis. I learned something the other day. I was always given aspirin as something to help if nothing else worked. Adult strength in fact. But, the ped said the other day they don't like giving aspirin anymore in kids. I knew it was not good for kids with fevers but I did not realize it was no longer recommended to treat joint pain in kids. I even checked the bottle and it had changed.
hugs, wayney
I wasn't dx'd until I was 29....but I ALWAYS remember having "growing pains" as a child. I had real bad problems with my knees when I was in Middle School. Something about my bones growing faster than my muscles (or the other way around). I had to wear braces on both knees and go to physical therapy. I never connected any of it to RA....and the doctors certainly didn't. I know I haven't always had the pain that I do now....so I can't actually say that I think I had RA as a child...but it sure makes you wonder since several of us all had the same type of symptoms. My daughter (Ashley, who is 12) often has "growing pains" also. I asked my husband if he ever remembers having growing pains as a child and he said that he never did. I kills me to think about Ashley getting RA. And it crosses my mind a lot.

Hi TBird,

My son Oscar is in middle school now and having very bad knee pain. His knees have been stiff and painful for about 2 mos now. He has had so many other sx of JRA starting from age 2 1/2 but they have all been looked at as separate issues and never together as a whole picture. I think too, starting at such a young age can make it difficult as a child gets use to the aches and pains or just plays right through them so as not to miss anything. Just the other day Oscar complained about having to go for a long drive in the car (50 min) and said he did'nt like to because his hips hurt too much after sitting for a long time in the car, at school etc. I said "for how long has this gone on?" He said he can't remember a time that they did'nt get stiff like that.....he just thought that happened to everyone

Watch your daughter closely, I'm sure it could just be pains that are a part of growing, but as we see here, it warrents concern.

have a good nite,