Juvenile Rheumatiod Arthritis relapse
DD's JRA has flared up again, her foot is hurting, causing limping, and her knee is swollen. Saw the homeopath today and we're working on a constitutional remedy, but it's complicated a little bit by an acute, painful ear infection that popped up this morning. So we're treating the ear infection first, then will follow with the JRA treatment.
This has been simmering for a while--her foot has been bothering her off and on for weeks, but there's been no swelling to speak of, so there wasn't much to go on until last night when her knee swelled and her foot became painful to walk upon.
So she's home from school today wrapped up in warm jammies and her fuzzy robe, watching one of the new movies we got at her school's rummage sale last week, and it looks like the belladonna is working, her ear pain is less.
Think good thoughts for her as we engage the JRA enemy once again. This has been the first major flare up since 2005, so we've been lucky up till now.
User login
Navigation
Recent blog posts
- The Newbie
- The Year of Breaking Things
- Beware angry dairy farmers
- In praise of computers for kids
- Chemistry Fun with Pennies
- A month’s worth of probiotics for the price of a cabbage!
- Gluten Free Sourdough Bread as an Intuitive Art
- caring for fleece
- A niece! I has one!
- Yearbook Yourself, or, excellent time waster
Who's online
There are currently 0 users and 7 guests online.
Ear infection is better, JRA swelling is down a little
The homeopathic treatment for the ear infection is working--the ear pain is nearly gone and the redness is less. DD will go to school in the morning, then another dr's visit to see if the ears are cleared up. The ear infection remedy seems to be helping the JRA a bit too, her foot pain is almost all gone and the swelling is down by about 25%. She was hardly able to walk on her foot on Monday night, this afternoon she was running around, frolicking with Lynn's DD2, not a sign of discomfort. She's still limping, but not as much.
This may be a good thing in the long run--an honest to goodness full blown flare up in conjunction with an ear infection has given the homeopath a lot of info to go on for figuring out what's going on and getting a good long term remedy/solution.
I was really upset Monday night (we mothers blame ourselves for everything, even if we know it isn't our fault we can MAKE it our fault, can't we? Is that a control issue, I wonder?) but I'm doing everything I can right now and there's improvement. And I'm not having steroids injected into her joints making them weaker and weaker, which is the only course open to me allopathically. Not doin it, don't care that that's the standard of care!
So here's hoping we get a good remedy for this and knock it down.
____________________
Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.
-- Albert Schweitzer
And, homeopathy looses the battle
So, we've officially ditched homeopathy. The JRA (or JA as some are now calling it) has become much worse. In July DD had steroid injections in both ankles and knees and showed a lot of improvement. We continued with the homeopathy, however it made no difference this time. In September the swelling was back and had progressed. It effected not only her ankles and knees, but tendons in her ankle and foot, the joints in her foot and toe bones, her elbows, wrists, and fingers, her neck and her jaw.
We had another round of joint injections for this last week: her ankles, feet, knees, elbows, wrists, fingers. The neck and jaw cannot be injected. Well, the jaw can by a special surgeon, but not by our guy. This may be followed by a short round of oral steroids for those two areas. But in order to manage the inflammation, we will be beginning weekly shots of methotrexate.
At this point, if we don't get her inflammation under control her muscular/skeletal system will be compromised. Her pediatric rheumatologist is concerned that she may have joint space narrowing and have lost some cartilage, already.
So Monday, we begin. I'm not happy about it, but we're even more unhappy about the pain she's in and her inability to do thinks like, you know, walk. She's been using crutches the past few days.
So that's were we are with the JRA. One in a thousand children in this country have it. I'm just glad that number isn't higher. No child should have to deal with this, no parent should have to watch their child whimper in pain as they try to walk across the floor.
We're continuing physical therapy. We have a therapy ball for her to exercise with so she gets lots of movement and motion without using her feet, we're seeing an acupuncturist in conjunction with an EFT/hypnotherapist, and continuing with the avoidance of her food intolerances.
I hope this and the methotrexate is what it takes. I pray.
____________________
Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.
-- Albert Schweitzer
DD8 had the first methotrexate shot today
Went to our pediatrician's office to have them show me how to administer the shot, they weren't all that helpful. They didn't show me anything, I had to interrupt and explain again to show me what they were doing--I was very unhappy about the whole experience. This is obviously NOT something they are used to dealing with.
I will go to the pedatric rehabilitation clinic where her rheumatologist practices next week and have their nurse show me how to administer the shot there.
I called to let the office manager know the problems with the visit today (got voice mail, natch) and burst into tears on the phone trying to lodge a complaint. Gah. And that's the second time today. DH and I both broke down this morning when we were prepping DD for the doctor's visit.
No side effects, yet. Temporary side effects of methotraxate include nausea, vomiting, tiredness, dizziness--it's a chemotherapy drug, so all those things. Still praying that this controls, if not stops entirely the JRA. Please, God.
____________________
What do you call a parent that believes in abstinence only sex ed?
A Grandparent.
That's great Anhata - hope
That's great Anhata - hope she continues to improve -
http://blackcatchronicles1.blogspot.com/
oh honey
I wish I was there. I'll be home soon. xxoo.
Lynn Siprelle, Editor
The shot wasn't as bad as I was dreading
I was completely freaked out about the possible side effects. What happened: she was mildly tired. (sigh of relief)
The "steroid effect" is waning a bit, and the EFT/acupuncture and the switch from ibuprofen to naproxen sodium has made a big difference too. Since the switch to naproxen she's been able to stop using crutches and can participate better in dance class.
EFT--I can see a big difference. It's so cool.
____________________
Until he extends his circle of compassion to include all living things, man will not himself find peace.
-- Albert Schweitzer
EFT is the weirdest thing
Tapping works. I use it on all kinds of odd things--when I remember to do it!
Lynn Siprelle, Editor
Post new comment