I cannot remember a time when juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) was not a part of my life. It took many years to get a diagnosis, I was eventually diagnosed when I was eight years old and still affects me to this day. Throughout the years I have learnt how to live with it, I cannot ignore it, but I certainly will not let it define me. The curveballs it has thrown me has tested my resilience, strength and confidence but it has helped me become the person I am today. This is my journey.
My first Love
My first love in life was gymnastics. I couldn’t wait for Saturdays to come round so I could go to my class. This was something I was good at and wanted to be the best. Looking back, I cannot remember the first time when I noticed my left wrist being so painful, hard to move and swollen, but I do remember trying to do a vault, putting my hands on the top but my wrist couldn’t do it. I fell and sat in tears. I think I knew my dream of becoming a gymnast was about to be torn apart at the age 8. I had already seen sports therapists, A&E doctors and GP’s. There was nothing they could do. Being so young there was only a certain number of painkillers they could give me. I remember being at the GP surgery sitting there with my mum and being told I had children’s chronic arthritis (that was it was back in the 1980’s). The GP’s advice was ‘you will just have to get on with it, learn to rest when its flaring’. So, I tried. It had then spread to my right wrist and there was no way I could continue with gymnastics; my wrists had become so weak. I am just so grateful I received a trophy during my time in the sport, which I am still very proud of to this day, and the love for the sport will always be there.
Another passion
After the heart break of stopping gymnastics, I learnt to play the piano. I didn’t realise at the time, this was one of the best physio exercises I could have done for my wrists. I became a grade 8 pianist! As I didn’t have to put my body weight on my wrists, and there were times I couldn’t move my fingers or wrists, I could still generally use one hand. This became my new passion, my escapism, just me and my piano. When both wrists were flaring, I learnt the theory side of music, I was never going to let JIA (the newer name for the diagnosis) stop me from doing what I wanted again. If I didn’t have JIA would I have taken up the piano and found a new love? Who knows. Read part 2 to find out more about my school life and how university changed my life.
