Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide (It Happened to Me)

301 Pages·2009·2.68 MB·English

by  Kelly Rouba

It Happened to Me
Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder
Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquis-
itive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social
issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your
teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of
up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals
to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting
singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading
lists, Web sites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, these
books contain loads of expert information by acclaimed writ-
ers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen
illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.
1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and
Sean McGarrahan, 2002.
2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell,
2002.
3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny
Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.
4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide,
by L. Kris Gowen, 2003.
5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins
Paquette, 2003.
6. Cultural Diversity—Conflicts and Challenges: The
Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.
7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J.
Moran, 2004.
8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The
Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers,
2004.
9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay,
2004.
10. Organ Transplants—A Survival Guide for the Entire
Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz,
2005.
11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson
Tuttle, 2005.
12. Image and Identity—Becoming the Person You Are: The
Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C.
McKenna, 2005.
13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny
Hutchins Paquette, 2005.
14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie
Ann Apel, 2006.
15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen
Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.
16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L.
Winfield, 2007.
17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise
Thornton, 2007.
18. Money—Getting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps:
The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.
19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl
Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.
20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne
Buckingham Slade, 2007.
21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by
Kathlyn Gay, 2008.
22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail
Green, 2009.
23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by
Anne E. Courtright, 2009.
24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly
Rouba, 2009.
Juvenile Arthritis
The Ultimate Teen Guide
K R
ELLY OUBA
Illustrations by Geoffrey Trapp
It Happened to Me, No. 24
The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Lanham, Maryland • Toronto • Plymouth, UK
2009
SCARECROWPRESS,INC.
Published in the United States of America
by Scarecrow Press, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of
The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706
www.scarecrowpress.com
Estover Road
Plymouth PL6 7PY
United Kingdom
Copyright © 2009 by Kelly Rouba
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission
of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rouba, Kelly, 1980–
Juvenile arthritis : the ultimate teen guide / Kelly Rouba.
p. cm. — (It happened to me ; no. 24)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-6055-1 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-8108-6055-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8108-6715-4 (ebook)
ISBN-10: 0-8108-6715-X (ebook)
1. Rheumatoid arthritis in children—Popular works. 2. Rheumatism in children—
Popular works. I. Title.
RJ482.A77R68 2009
618.92'7227—dc22 2008042317
(cid:2)™
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper
for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.
Manufactured in the United States of America.
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction ix
1 The Personal Side of Juvenile Arthritis 1
2 What Is Juvenile Arthritis? 9
3 The Bigger Picture: Arthritis-Related and
Secondary Conditions 31
4 Treatment Options: From Medicine to Surgery 55
5 Exercising and Maintaining a Proper Diet 91
6 Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy 127
7 Managing Your Physical and Mental Health 155
8 Moving Forward: Adapting Your Life 193
9 Looking Toward the Future 231
Appendix A: Assistive Devices 247
Appendix B: Research Initiatives 255
Bibliography 273
Index 281
About the Author and Illustrator 287
v

Acknowledgments
Thank you to:
6 My parents, Kerry and Frank, and my brother, Kevin, for their
support and encouragement of all my endeavors.
6 Sally Jones, Alana Wallace, and Diane and Amanda White for
inspiring me during this process.
6 Geoff Trapp for creating the marvelous illustrations seen
throughout this book. I am so glad we finally had the chance
to collaborate together and look forward to more opportunities
in the future.
6 Lynn Rich, English and gifted & talented teacher at
Nottingham High School in Hamilton, New Jersey, for guiding
me through the citation process. You taught me so much
when I was in your class and I am glad that you are still
willing to teach me today.
6 All the rheumatologists I interviewed. I appreciate you taking
time out of your busy schedules to share your expertise. And
a special thank-you to Dr. Randy Cron for becoming my “go-to”
person on medical questions and helping to proofread.
6 Helene Belisle, Morrie Granger, Marla Brodsky, Kristen
McCosh, Jacqueline Kuhns, Javier Robles, and Carolyn Hayer
for sharing your knowledge and helping to proofread. Thank
you also to Stephen Alexander and Ferne Allen for
proofreading.
6 The countless people I interviewed for this book. I cannot
thank you enough for sharing your stories or professional
expertise.
vii
Acknowledgments
Also, thank you to the following for providing me with infor-
mation and/or setting up interviews:
6 The Arthritis Foundation (national headquarters and local
chapters), especially Kim Thompson-Almanzor and Peggy
Lotkowictz from the New Jersey Chapter.
6 Juliann Walsh at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
6 Rob Black of the American Occupational Therapy Association.
6 Erin Latimer of the American College of Rheumatology.
viii
Introduction
Althoughit has been said that L. Frank Baum, author of the
Oz book series, created the Tin Man character based on a
lifelike metal figure he created for the window display of a
small hardware store, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to think
that the rusty woodsman was actually modeled after someone
with arthritis.
Each day, more than 46 million Americans with arthritis
struggle to overcome their limited range of mobility. For them,
swollen joints and stiffness can make even the simplest tasks
difficult to complete.
Although many people commonly associate arthritis with
aging, there are close to three hundred thousand children and
teens now living with the disease nationwide. According to
Poonam Balani, communications and events manager for the
TEENS, THIS MEANS YOU!
Even though you may not consider
yourself a juvenile, the Arthritis
Foundation states that juvenile arthritis
(JA) refers to any form of arthritis or
arthritis-related condition that develops
in individuals who are younger than
eighteen years of age.
ix