Flare?

Last Friday, she fell when she stepped off the bus. She stepped off the bottom step with her left leg (the weaker of the two) and it did not support her. Her knee buckled and she fell. 

Ten minutes later, she was telling me about her day and went to take a step backward with her left leg and her knee gave out again. Down she went. I try not to make a big deal about it when it happens, but I can't help but think, "What the heck?!"

And, that's when I remembered. Jay and I have seen this happen before. Right before a flare.

So, I was quite mad at myself today for not listening to my "mommy gut" on Sunday when I agreed to let her do the bouncy house at our annual church event. I watched her jump and jump and jump some more while I kept thinking to myself, "This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea!" But, how do you say "no" to your child when she wants to have fun with her friends? How do you tell her, "They can, but you can't." It sure is hard. Especially when everyone around you is saying, "Let her be a kid! Let her have fun!" But, they don't see the aftermath of what a bouncy house can do...

The left is clearly bigger than the right, but the right is also a bit puffy. See those lovely red spots on top of her knees (especially the one above her left kneecap)? Well, what we've learned from almost four years of PT is redness on skin near a joint indicates where fluid sits. And boy, were both knees hot!

She has not woken up with joint pain in over a year now.

It's not fun when your child wakes up and starts her day with pain. It's not fun watching her try to straighten her legs and can't. It is not fun watching her limp to the bathroom or have her beg you to carry her. 

No one sees THAT, but me.

She did go to to school today. But, around 10:30 a.m. I received an email from her teacher saying she was complaining of knee pain. Her teacher told the gym teacher to allow Mia to self-limit in class so as to not aggravate her joints in any way. When she got off the bus today, she was in tears. So, off to bed she went and she slept for two hours.

In the meantime, I emailed her rheumatologist to give her the update. I am still waiting to hear back.

Most importantly, we pray for our sweet girl and put everything in His hands.