According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary "Grown Up" means:
1. grown–up adjective \ˈgrōn-ˌəp\
: no longer young : fully grown
: suitable for adults
: like an adult
or
1: not childish or immature : adult
2: of, for, or characteristic of adults <insisted on wearing grown–up clothes>
Hmm. Am I no longer young? Well technically at 28 years old I should developmentally by "fully grown." Am I like an adult? Well that will most definitely depend on the day and situation. Am I not childlish or immature? I definitely find myself childlish but this is a purposeful intent to continue to find the joy in life as a child would, and not per say act "childlish." Lastly, do I have the characteristic of an adult? Well, I support myself financially, I make my own life choices and I live independently. Does that make me an adult? Not sure. But enough semantics.
The title of my blog is all grown up with JRA. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at 13 months old. I have most definitely grown up with this disease. I grew up with countless doctor appointments, therapy appointments, medications, pain and surgeries. However, I also grew up with American Girl dolls, elementary school plays, homework assignments, beanie babies, teenage heartbreaks, SAT preparations, college experiences and many other life memories.
Recently I have made many steps in my life towards being "all grown up." I got married this fall. I got a puppy last spring. I got a new apartment and a new job. My husband started graduate school and our future started to become less foggy. It was at this point, as we started to ponder our goals for starting our own family, I realized I did not have many people to turn to with similar experiences. I found myself wondering, "Now what?" As a child with JRA, there are countless fabulous resources and networks for parents and children. As an adult (which means 40-100 in the RA world) there are many resources for exercises, medications and coping strategies. But I found little helpful information about the active, young adult with JRA. I found myself groping to find information on starting a family while having JRA, pregnancy, parenting and beyond.
That is what I hope to achieve during this blog. I hope to chronicle some of my experiences as I enter the next step towards being "all grown up with JRA." I have no idea where this blog will take me and I'm not sure if you can ever be "all grown up with JRA," but I hope to help others like myself find out...
Recently I have made many steps in my life towards being "all grown up." I got married this fall. I got a puppy last spring. I got a new apartment and a new job. My husband started graduate school and our future started to become less foggy. It was at this point, as we started to ponder our goals for starting our own family, I realized I did not have many people to turn to with similar experiences. I found myself wondering, "Now what?" As a child with JRA, there are countless fabulous resources and networks for parents and children. As an adult (which means 40-100 in the RA world) there are many resources for exercises, medications and coping strategies. But I found little helpful information about the active, young adult with JRA. I found myself groping to find information on starting a family while having JRA, pregnancy, parenting and beyond.
That is what I hope to achieve during this blog. I hope to chronicle some of my experiences as I enter the next step towards being "all grown up with JRA." I have no idea where this blog will take me and I'm not sure if you can ever be "all grown up with JRA," but I hope to help others like myself find out...
Welcome to the online RA community! There are many young adults like yourself who are coping with their RA while getting on with their iives, starting new families, and having new adventures. Please take a look at the blog roll on RheumaBlog (www.rheumablog.wordpress.com), my personal blog. You'll find many blog written by young adults like yourself.
ReplyDeleteOther excellent websites include RheumatoidArthritis.net and Health Central. When you visit the latter, pay particular attention to health guide Lene Andersen. She's also had JRA since she was a small child. She's phenomenal.
I'm looking forward to reading your posts in the future and getting to "know" you better. I'm adding you to my blogroll, as well.
Sending a hug your way,
Wren
Hello Wren,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words and welcoming me to the community! I will definitely check out some other great bloggers! You are all great inspirations!
Welcome to the blogging world :) I started my blog, The Old Lady in My Bones (http://theoldladyinmybones.com) about two years ago. I am a writer and actress who was diagnosed with RA in my 30's. It's been a challenging five years, but I'm still finding a way to live my life. I look forward to following your journey. I will also add you to my blog roll. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteThanks J.G! Your blog is so beautifully written. I have enjoyed reading it. I look forward to reading more.
DeleteWelcome to the blogosphere! I'm an adult (???) with JA, too, although a bit older than you. Great to meet you!
ReplyDeleteHello Lene!
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing yourself. I have enjoyed reading your blog as well.
Hi, thanks so much for your kind comments! I really enjoyed reading your entries as well. It is a unique experience growing into an adult and taking our childhood conditions with us, isn't it? Hope you are doing well and I look forward to reading more from you. I've added you to my blogroll. Keep up the great work! :)
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