I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis in November 2019, when I was six years old. My first symptoms were numbness and swelling in the joints of my right hand, which was also sometimes painful. I really love to draw with that hand and sometimes I had to stop drawing, which made me very sad. I was nervous at my first specialist appointments, sometimes there were a lot of people in my room to check on me.
The first medicine I was on for 3 months, was an anti-inflammatory medication called Naproxen. It didn’t make me feel very good. It gave me a lot of tummy aches and chest pain. I had to go home from school early and miss school many days. I really love school, so it was hard to not feel good at school or to have to stay home. The naproxen didn’t really help my JIA, so I started weekly methotrexate injections at home. At first my aunt did my injections, because she is a nurse, then my Mommy gave them to me. The methotrexate made me feel better than the Naproxen, but it was scary to get the needles at first. Now I’m more used to and it isn’t so bad. It also hasn’t given me as many bad side effects as Naproxen, but it does make me tired sometimes. I also have to get blood taken every 2-3 months to make sure my medicines are helping me and not hurting me. It makes me nervous when I have to get my blood taken.
JIA is an autoimmune disease, for which there is currently no permanent cure, but with early treatment children can go into remission, sometimes even lifelong. Without treatment, there can be permanent and severe damage. In my case it could greatly limit the movement of my dominant hand and spread to other parts of my body too. I have wanted to be a Doctor since I was two years old and a Neurologist since I was four. I really need my hand to be healthy, in order to do all the things I want to do.
I am so excited to be running in the virtual Calgary Marathon for Team Cassie and Friends. I really want to help others and I am so happy that I can help Cassie and Friends raise money for JIA research and support.
Join Alexis on Team Cassie + Friends as we run towards a pain-free future for kids! 100% of donations will go towards the URGENT NEED for support, awareness, connection and research for kids and families affected by rheumatic disease. Become a part of the Team Cassie + Friends virtual run anywhere in Canada to get involved with fun challenges, fundraising and spreading the word about JIA and other rheumatic diseases.
Calgary Marathon, 21.1K, 10K & 5K Virtual Run/Walk- Register Now!
Vancouver Half Marathon, 10K & 5K Virtual Run/Walk- Register Now!
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