Arthritis

Hey,
Not many people that I know really understand arthritis unless they have it. I have friends who still don't believe that I have arthritis because they don't want to think of someone our age could have it. When in reality kids as young as an infant could have arthritis. It's amazing that you don't hear about kids having it but you hear about adults and the elderly having it. You don't hear the kids talk about the many pain pills they take on the commercials. How different they feel when they can't run or play the games that others there age do. How there classmates think they are faking it and are just plain lazy. How hard it is to wake up in the morning knowing that you will have notes to write and ur hands will be killing you near the end of the school day. To just have to do it tomorrow. No one sees how hard it is to get up in the morning knowing that the day at school is going to be hard because of the weather outside. No one notices it and no one thinks of it. Because it's not so easy to notice that a child has arthritis as it is to a kid having another disease like cancer or even diabetes.
I grew up with arthritis. For some odd reason Heavenly Father thought I should have this disease and give me this challenge to overcome. Every day since I was little I struggle to be normal and fight against my joints. The medicine is not really designed for children to take so you have a greater risk of the side effects. Like losing bone denisity, damage to the liver, damage to the heart, overweight, and not even be able to have children. How can people explain to a cute little two year old that she needs to make the option of having children in the future or living with the pain. No one could. I am lucky enough to be ten when I found out about having arthritis. Because I got the option and I flately told my parents no. I am still able to have children and you know what I wouldn't want it any other way. I want to be able to hold my own child in my body and to know that when nine months later happens I'll have a child that I have bonded with.
Kk