God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
and Wisdom to know the difference. 12 Step Prayer
The Back Story
When I was 10, I was diagnosed with iritis or anterior uveitis, which is inflammation of the coloured part of the eye. Of course, at 10, I thought it was "eye"ritis.! Many kids with JA develop iritis which involves pain, swelling and redness and is treated with cortisone. At that time, a petroleum jelly-like ointment was prescribed--now there are eye drops. I still get about 2 flare-ups per year.
In the summer between Grade 7 and 8, kneeling on the ribs in a wooden canoe triggered a flare that lasted a year. For all of Grade 8, I limped, wrapped my knee in a tensor bandage and took 8 aspirin per day. I had to organize all the school intramural gym programs to be given a gym mark. In the year of "ParticipAction" awards, I was singled out by my gym teacher as the only one in the class that did not receive a gold, silver or bronze. I never took gym again as there were so many activities I couldn't do at all, I never knew when the joints would act up-----and I didn't want to be humiliated or embarrassed anymore. It was a turning point---I thought I was uncoordinated, unathletic and unfit-- and would always be that way.
The Current Journey
On Saturday April 2nd, I participated in the Harry Rosen 8 km Spring Run-off for Prostate Cancer
My friends Kennis and Jeanice, two of the people that regularly get me out on my training walks, were there with me. More about them in the next post.
Of the 2226 people who registered in the 8 km "run", only about 10 were walkers. I had lots of time on my own to think. I placed 2220th of 2226........and I'm happy. Why?
1) My knees were working.
2) I' wasn't sore the next day.
3) I maintained approx. 6 km/hour pace.
4) I know my story and other people may not, and I've learned (over MANY years) I'm not racing against anyone else.
ACCEPTANCE IS THE KEY
The difference between the 12 year-old me and the 48 year-old me is ACCEPTANCE and the WISDOM that comes with it. The thing I can change is my ATTITUDE. My knee is better now, but if it's not okay when I get to China, I can always change from the 1/2 marathon to a 10 km or 5 km walk. But I need to show up. It isn't giving up, but learning to modify and adapt.
(Take a close look at the background.....my magnetic board with Chinese characters and Pinyin)...I can practice while I walk!
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| Check out those stairs...and this section has rail! |
The Ongoing Challenge - Awareness
This is not just an old person's disease.
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s 2010 Life with Arthritis in Canada report listed 55,777 Canadians aged 15-24 as diagnosed with arthritis.
This is not just a joint problem.
JA can affect vital organs, including the heart, lungs, kidneys and brain.
Continued education, research and programs are necessary. The Arthritis Society website offers excellent detailed, yet accessible information on JA (as well as many other types and many resources). It was only recently that I learned that my subset of JA is called Pauciarticular Onset Juvenile Arthritis and it differs a lot from other types.
