Hi everyone!

My name is Lindsey and I'm 19 years old.  I was diagnosed with JRA two years ago after seeing several doctors and ending up in the hospital where it almost killed me.  I'm doing better now but still can't seem to get the least bit stabilized.  I was on enbrel for the first couple months and it worked great until it completely stopped affecting me at all. Currently I'm doing a round of Rituxan and weekly infusions of solumedrol and MTX which help for about three days after.  I keep having to revert back to prednisone which I know is horrible for you but its the only thing that really allows me to function on a day-to-day basis.  Also, I have two horses that I love more than anything in the world and I ride as much as my body will allow me   I've read through a bunch of the posts on this message board and love the sense of community and support that everyone is receiving and I would love to be a part of that!

Hi Lindsey!  Glad you have you here.    I hear you about the prednisone - bad stuff, but sometimes we do what we have to do to get through the day. 

Everyone with RA is different, but FWIW I was dx'd at age 5 and didn't come close to being stabilized until I was just a little older than you are now - maybe 20-ish. (It was kind of a long time ago. LOL)  I have high hopes for you that you'll get on top of it soon.  Good for you for continuing to ride when you can!  What type of horses do you have?  I love horses, but I just have dogs. That's enough.

Hello Lindsey, Welcome to CreakyJoints!  We are all excited to have you as part of our little community, there is a lot to learn and share on this site.  The folks on this site are great support folks as well as a wealth of information.  The members here will always be there to help where possible and look forward to your postings and getting to know you as well as you getting to know us.

I like Carolan was diagnosed at a young age (13 = JRA; 18 = RA) I went into remission around 25 and started ballroom dancing at 21 because the doctors told me I wasn't allowed too. BTW I am now 46.

You keep yourself as active as much as you can, remember mobility is the one thing we all want to keep so the more you keep at it the better you will feel about yourself.  

So welcome and chime in where you want through out the board...

Tess

Hi Lindsey,

You sound like such a bright, delightful young woman.  You will do well with or without RA b/c you know how to reach out to people and you feed your passions (like horses).  I think you will like this site.  The members here are great!

Welcome!

- Kati