My AARP Membership

I remember the first time The American Association of Retired People sent me a personalized membership card. I was 16. I remember thinking "Why, do they think I'm old?" Oh yes, I have Arthritis. Initially, I was slightly offended. It's enough that I am usually the youngest in my rhuematologist office and always the youngest at the glaucoma specialist office, but now they think I'm old enough to join the AARP! However, each year a new AARP card would arrive in the mail. I often thought about trying to join, they do offer great discounts and the membership often comes with a free rolling travel cooler. SCORE!

As humorous as this clerical error often is, it is still a reminder of the stigma that Arthritis is an "old person's disease." There are many organizations and people trying to raise awareness that Kids Get Arthritis Too , but there is still a long way to go. On the other hand, Arthritis does in fact often make me feel like I am old enough for the AARP and often I can relate to their aches and pains more than I can relate to my peers running frequent 5k's. I wake up stiff, achy and sore. My knees creak and hurt as I walk down stairs. I have used a wheelchair in my past. I have already had two cataract surgeries and I have ongoing glaucoma eye disease. I have used reading glasses since I was 15 years old.

So here I am living with the body of an AARP member but navigating life as a late 20 year old. This desire to want to live out my youth carefree and energetically, but still navigate the challenges of my Arthritis will consistently be something I struggle with. Fortunately, I no longer desire to stay up to 3 am, eat macaroni and cheese for every meal, or spend 4 hours standing in bars only to walk miles home, as I once did in college, and my body thanks me for it. However, I am also no where near ready to sign up for an AARP membership. I have a lot more "youth" to enjoy, regardless of what my Arthritis or the Association of Retired People think about it!

Disclaimer: I have nothing against the AARP and their organization. I will join as soon as I turn 50 and can't wait to go to the movies for 5.00 or get a free donut at Dunkin Donuts. Just not yet!

All Grown Up?

What does it mean to be "grown up?"

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...