"KIDS GET ARTHRITIS TOO" ... A GREAT WEBSITE ... and MORE!

It is hard to believe another year has past. Penny's Journey with Juvenile Arthritis began when she was three it has taken four years to get a confirmation that she does have JAR. It really should have come as no surprise as I sat in the doctors office and listened to yet just another mark on her Medical History. With Neurofibromatosis (NF) JA is something that comes along with the territory. She has been in casts or braces (on both legs) since she was four. Penny is on a prescription strength of pain medication, but so far that is the only medication they have wanted to put her on. Until about four months ago, I did not have any disagreement about this, but now she is in pain daily. We are waiting to get in to see a Neurologist. When asked about her pain, she says "it is like a million bees stinging you". She complains about this several times a day. There are sometimes she complains that her legs "just don't do what you want them to do:. This disease does continue to remind us it can hit any age. It still continues to amaze me when you say your child is in pain and needs help now specialists still take a month or months to get into. This disease is so unfair.

Penny is a tough eight year old and that amazes me daily. I could not have been as tough as her when I was eight. She very seldom lets anything get her down.

Our journey with this diagnosis will continue because that is the only choice you have! Thankfully God has blessed Penny to be in good health right now. We do not take that for granted and feel blessed each day she feels good. Especially when there are so many children out there that suffer from so many childhood diseases. We also never take for granted that there are so many other out there far worse off. For all these children we pray .... FIND A CURE!

If your child or anyone close to you suffers from JAR there is a wealth of information at this site:

http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/

There are also a lot of Mom friendly Blogs out there to help you along the way when life may just seem so unfair.

I want to personally thank the KIDS GET ARTHRITIS TOO FOUNDATION they sent Penny this great backpack just for kids! You can get one too by going to:

http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/resources/ja-power-pack.php

Inside the backpack is the cutest, softest Bear and lots of great information for not only you, but for kids too.

The BEAR comes with a special cold/hot pack they can use when they are in pain. It kits inside the bear and will comfort them while providing relief to them too.

THANK YOU:  http://www.kidsgetarthritistoo.org/about-ja/

**The JAR Foundation did not send this pack for any sort of review or advertisement. We received this before this Blog was even in the works. My hope is to get the word out to parents were they can get helpful information.**

 Pictured Above: The Information Packets that you get for you and your child,(top), the ever so cute and cuddly Bear ... the white square is the cold/heat pack that you put inside the Bear for comfort and relief (centered), Penny... enjoying "Mr. Bear".