Full Steam Ahead!

We have a busy, busy, BUSY week ahead of us. Lucky for me, my husband is home again, providing an extra set of hands around the house (PHEW!). It makes such a HUGE difference. Not to mention, someone who knows exactly how to care for Mia with what has been going on as of late.

To update everyone, last week was a rough on for Mia (and me). She had back-to-back appointments last Thursday and by the end of the second one both she and I were in tears. It had been a loooong week. On top of getting back in the "JRA fight," I came down with tonsillitis and a double ear infection. Great. Just what every mom needs when they are trying to care for their child who is dealing with a chronic illness. As I mentioned before, I am very happy my husband is home!

Moving on...

To Mia's dismay, I switched her eye doctors. Her current doc was a pediatric ophthalmologist, but not a uveitis specialist. So, at Mia's three year check-up last week I spoke with her pediatrician about switching. I've always liked her pediatrician, but now I like him even more. He actually took the time to open up his laptop, check out the site I directed him to (thank you, Joanne!), review the list of uveitis specialists with me, and agree that we needed to get her in with a specialist. So, I canceled the appointment she was supposed to have last Friday and got her in to Dr. Foster's office for this Tuesday (tomorrow). We are believing for a CLEAR report for Mia's eyes. I still can't figure out why her old doctor never saw the cells and why her rheumatologist did. Very puzzling. But, hopefully, Mia will like this new doctor. I am sure she will...she has a knack for immediately warming up to strangers/new doctors and making them laugh within a few seconds of meeting them. Case in point - while we were in the elevator last week at NEMC, Mia introduced me to all of her new "elevator friends:"

Mia: "Hello, everyone! I am Mia and this is my Mommy!"

Elevator Friends: "Hello, Mia! Hello, Mia's Mommy!"

Me (quite embarrassed!): "Hello! Hello, everyone in the elevator!"

My husband (jokingly): "Pay no attention to the guy pushing the stroller..."

Elevator Friends (laughing): "Hello, Mia's Daddy!!"

Mia: quite pleased with her self. :)

Me: embarrassed, but laughing. :)


Up next...

Mia goes in this Thursday to have her knee drained and for steriod injections (aristopan) directly into the joint. I have been trying my best to make her as comfortable as possible this past week. I have found that long car rides, sitting at the dinner table does not help her knee or her circulation. When I get her out of the car or down from her seat at the table, she can barely walk. She has been asking me to let her scoot on her bum in order to get around. That is too heartbreaking for me. So, I tell her that I'd prefer to carry her than have her scoot on the floor. :(

I have been trying to think of special things that will put a smile on her face since she can't be as active as she'd like to be. That has been the toughest part - finding a balance between sitting and walking/trying to walk. Too much sitting results in stiff joints. Too much walking results in swollen joints. Ugh. So, to keep her happy and smiling I've been allowing her to take "picnic meals" on the couch while watching her new Winne the Pooh movie. We have a chaise where she can sit with her legs out in front of her - the best position for her. We have discovered then when she sits at the dinner table, her left foot becomes ice cold - obviously a ciculation issue because of her swollen knee. So, "picnic meals" it is! Plus, it is something special for her, something we wouldn't normally allow. :)

So, that is about it. Mia is not able to go to school right now, per doctor's orders. I was able to get her in for two sessions of PT before the "big day." She has an appointment later on today and another one on Wednesday. While the appointments are pretty tough physically for her, Mia always manages to make everyone laugh. Last week, at the end of her appointment she took a bow in the hallway and said "Thank you, thank you!" to her therapists. Everyone enjoyed the Mia Show. :)

Back From Boston

Mia had her appointment today with Dr. Lopez. However, before we even got to the appointment, we had some challenges at home...

Mia woke up this morning and was crying. I went down to her room and she was holding onto the side of her bed, crying and saying, "Momma, I can't walk!" So, I immediately put her in a warm bath to alleviate the pain. Afterwards, she still wasn't able to walk. So, we loaded up the car and headed into Boston. I am SO glad we had an appointment today. Otherwise, I think we would have needed to schedule an emergency appointment for her.

When the doctor came in to see her he could tell right away her knee was very swollen. We told him how we had weaned her off the medicine too fast and gave him the update as far as when we started her back on the Naproxen and when the flare started. After examining her, he concluded that:

1. She will need to have her knee drained. They are looking to schedule the appointment for early Monday morning (5/4/09). Since the procedure is painful, and not one that a small child can endure awake, they will have to put her to sleep for it. They will be draining as much fluid as they can from her knee and injecting a steroid into her knee. Dr. Lopez said the steroid should help her anywhere from 3-6 months up to a year. She has never had this procedure done before (NOTE TO ANY JRA MOMS OUT THERE: any feedback would be greatly appreciated!).

2. New medicine. They are switching her from 7.5ml of Naproxen 2x a day to 11.5ml of Ibuprofen 3x a day. Dr. Lopez feels that the Naproxen is no longer working for Mia. She has been on it for the last three weeks and her condition has only gotten worse. So, the Naproxen is no longer helping.

3. Inflammation in one eye (uveitis). Dr. Lopez examined her eyes and said there is a "density" or "thickening" in her right eye. I told him she was just examined on April 17th by Dr. Zuckerman and she reported there was no inflammation in her eye. However, they did not dilate her eyes at this past appointment and Dr. Lopez said they should be doing it every time she goes. Also, her flare occured right after her last appointment. So, either they missed it or it wasn't there until afterwards. So, we are going BACK to see Dr. Zuckerman this Friday (5/1) to have her dilated Mia's eyes and check again. Results from this past visit and the one this Friday will be sent to Dr. Lopez for his review.

4. Leg brace. We can't get her fitted for a brace or have her use a brace until we get the swelling down. Once that goes down, then she can be fitted again to wear a brace on her leg again at night to help keep her leg straight.

5. Scan-o-gram. Mia had another scan-o-gram done today after meeting with Dr. Lopez. She's such a pro now! She went in with her daddy, they said "cheese" during the "picture taking" and when she left the room, she took her Daddy's hand and said, "So ANYWAYS....let's go see my Mum!" Like I said, SUCH A PRO!!

6. Blood work. They did more blood work again today. Unfortunately, we've gone there so many times now that this time Mia knew where we were and what the lady in the other room was going to do to her. She was not thrilled. I will get the results back in the next day or so and find out what her sed rate is, etc.

Phew! I think that is it! So, we are going back to what we kn ow and what worked for her at the very beginning of all this - switching her medicine, very restricted diet and cod liver oil. For now, I am taking her off eggs again to see if that helps. Right now, I am just trying to make her as comfortable as possible for the next few days until she has this procedure done to remove the fluid from her knee.

Do we feel discouraged? Nah. We've already been down that road. There's no point to it! If anything, we feel empowered. We have another battle to fight. We have fought it once before and we'll fight it again. We have seen Mia arthritis-free! We got a good report several months ago that there was "no evidence of arthritis in her body." We are holding onto that good report. We will not remain here, but we will go through it! We are surrounded by the best doctors and therapists and our wonderful family and friends who are always supporting us with prayers and encouraging words (THANK YOU!!!). Most importantly, God is her healer. So, we shall overcome!!

One Step At A Time

Mia had her physical therapy appointment with Mary this morning. First thing Mary said when she saw her knee was that it looks larger than it has ever looked, even larger than it was at her initial evaluation. My heart sunk. To confirm her evaluation, she had Kathy, the other PT who saw Mia when she was first diagnosed, come in to take a look at her knee. Kathy said the same thing. Her knee is hard as a rock and very knobby looking. Usually when there is fluid on or near her knee Mary is able to massage it away, pushing the fluid away from her kneecap. However, it is almost like the fluid is tucked underneath the kneecap in an unreachable spot...and that it is hardening?? Or there is an overgrowth of cartilage. Weird. All I know is it is BIG.

Mary was concerned that she may need to have her knee drained. My heart sunk even further. She has never had this procedure done and I am praying that she won't have to. But, that is something for the rheumatologist to decide.

As far as her range goes, zero being normal, she is back at -10. That's quite a jump back after being between -2 and 0 for such a long time. When the measured her at her initial diagnosis, her knee was bent at -20 degrees. In November 2007, after one month of being on the naproxen, GF-DF-EF diet and cod liver oil, we were able to get her knee down to -10 degrees. So, we know what works, we just need to buckle down, again, and do it! Fast!

The other concern both Kathy and Mary had was that the length of her left leg is measuring longer than her right. This is a common side effect with JRA - the joint affected tends to cause that leg to grow faster than it should, resulting in legs of different length and muscle wasting. Mia's scan-o-gram back in June 2008 showed that her left leg was measuring 1cm longer than the right. It is now measuring 2cm longer than the right. So, Mary suggested we talk to Dr. Lopez about putting a "lift" inside Mia's right shoe in order to balance her out and to prevent her hips and back from being affected due to the difference in the length of her legs.

During PT, Mary iced Mia's knee for about 15 minutes and then tried to get Mia to climb the stairs (three steps up, three steps down). Mia placed her right foot on the step (in order to protect her left) and then refused to go any futher. She begged Mary to hold her hand and help her up the stairs. We tried to encourage Mia to do it on her own, but she started to cry and said she needed help because it was going to hurt. So, in the end, Mary helped Mia climb up and down the stairs. And, just like she used to do in the beginning, Mia would go up with the right and come down with the left, allowing her right side to do most of the work in order to protect the inflammed joint.

At the end of the appointment, Mary suggested we call Dr. Lopez's office to get Mia's appointment moved up from May 7th to a.s.a.p. I called them today and he is going to see her on Tuesday, April 28 in the morning at the Boston office. She also highly suggested aquatic therapy. I need to get a referal from her pediatrician for it, but we do have a place nearby that does aquatic therapy for children. As for physical activity, it needs to be limited - no jumping, riding bikes, etc. I am thinking, "Great...how do you keep a child from doing the things they love to do?".

We are taking each day as it comes, one step at a time. Mia has one more PT appointment before we meet with Dr. Lopez on Tuesday. We are really trying to work at getting that knee down before he sees her. I am already preparing myself as it could be a long appointment on Tuesday - more blood work, possible ultrasounds, etc. We will see what he says.

On a more positive note, we are going to be having some GREAT weather this weekend. So, in order to make things as normal as possible for her, I am hoping to get the kids outside a bit and maybe take them for some walks...in the stroller, of course. Fresh air is always a good thing, especially for mommies. :)

More to come on Monday after her next PT appointment. Stay tuned...

A Million Questions

Was it too much sugar?

Was it because she went off the medicine too fast?

Was it the rainy weather?

A million questions fill my head, along with a million reasons why I HATE JRA.

With that said, it is official...I have returned to this blog. As most of my readers know, this is my personal online journal. I write to keep track of what is going on with Mia and how JRA is affecting her body. I write to keep myself encouraged. And, I write to inform others to ask them to pray for our little girl.

While I enjoy writing, I must admit...I was thrilled to be able to take a break from this blog. Mia had been doing soooo well for soooo long. And, now this...her second flare:

(left knee swollen from JRA.
also, bony overgrowth of cartilage
on the inside of her knee from the arthritis)

The first flare happened back in November of 2007. We worked HARD to get the inflammation down in her body. Just thinking about all the tests, medicines, MRI, therapy sessions, ultrasounds, leg braces, elbow wraps overwhelms for me...so I won't go there. We know what we have ahead of us. Most importantly, we know what to do to get the inflammation down in her joints.

For those of you who have no idea what juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is it is an autoimmune disease, meaning that white blood cells lose the ability to tell the difference between the body's own healthy cells and harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. The immune system, which is supposed to protect the body from these harmful invaders, instead releases chemicals that can damage healthy tissues and cause inflammation and pain.

At her initial diagnosis when she was 22 months old, her right elbow, left knee, right ankle and several toes were inflamed and swollen. She had a hard time straightening her leg and would drag it when she walked. She could not straighten her right arm all the way either. But, once we put her on a gluten-free, dairy-free, eggless diet and started giving her a teaspoon of Carlson's Norwegian Cod Liver Oil once a day we saw immediate results. It took a little more than a year and then we we finally received the good news from her doctor - "no evidence of arthritis in her body." (I am holding onto that good report because I believe she will get there again!)

Fast forward to today.

In the last week or so, we noticed some swelling again in her knee. So, when I dropped her off for school today I informed her teachers so they would be aware of any discomfort she may be experiencing. I specifically told them if she was going to have any problems it would be after nap time. With JRA, when a child has a TON of activity and no period of rest (like a full morning at school) and then lays down to take a nap (on the floor) after several hours of activity, the joint(s) affected tend to swell up, creating a very painful situation when the child wakes up.

And that is what happened today.

I got the call at 3:00 p.m., right after nap time, that I should come get Mia because she was in crying and saying her knee hurt. When I came to get her she was limping. So, I took her home immediately and put her in a warm bath to try to ease any pain/discomfort she was having. The rest of the evening was filled with tears.

Luckily, Mia has an appointment tomorrow morning with Mary, her physical therapist. We haven't visited with Mary since November 2008, so it will be very nice to see her. Mia LOVES Mary!! We are very blessed to have found such an awesome physical therapist. Mary is the best!

We have an appointment scheduled for May 7, 2009 to meet with Dr. Lopez, Mia's rheumatologist. She has been going to Dr. Lopez since she was 22 months old. Our goal at PT this week and next is to get the swelling down before her appointment with Dr. Lopez.

So, we are back to a very restricted diet for Mia - no gluten, no dairy, no sugar. Wow...every toddler's dream diet!! Poor girl! I am even considering taking her off of eggs again if the swelling does not go down soon. Mia LOVES eggs, so we shall see.

Please keep Mia in your prayers. We will continue to stand on the scriptures I posted in the beginning of this journey and believe for a complete healing for our daughter.

"They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong." (Psalm 73:4, NIV)

Back To The Drawing Board!

As you may remember, we received a very good report from Mia's rheumatologist back in December regarding her JRA. He said there was no evidence of arthritis in her body and said we could start weaning her off of the naproxen. Overjoyed with this wonderful news, we did something very, very stupid - we let our guard down. Her rheumatologist said the weaning process would take three to six months. We did it too fast.

We were fairly consistent in January. When February came, we started to slip up missing doses here and there until she was completely off the meds the entire month of March. During that time I added white potatoes back into her diet and she has had more white sugar than she normally does. Jellybeans and peeps are a huge fave in our family. Darn Easter!! :)

I think it was a combination of several things - we were tired, exhausted and worn out from the various doctor appointments, therapy appointments and daily medications we were giving Mia. We needed a break. I needed a break. The previous year had been such a horrible one for our family and when we received this bit of hope, we breathed a huge sigh of relief thinking everything was over. The other side of it was we were curious to see how she would do with out the meds and just on the diet alone. Guess we know now, don't we...

Mia had her eye appointment today with Dr. Zuckerman. While she got a good report about her eyes, her doctor took a look at her left knee and wanted to know what happened. So, I admitted to her that we slacked, but told her she is back on the meds again. She warned me about how easy it is for uveitis (inflammation in the eyes) to suddenly pop up out of nowhere when a child is having a flare. She said she's seen it too many times in patients, especially young girls with JRA.

So, that's where we are at. Mia is back on naproxen twice a day, cod liver oil once a day, and we will be starting up physical therapy again. We will also be meeting with her rheumatologist this month...and, hopefully, we won't get scolded for our stupidity.

Well, friends, that is the latest news in our journey...we are smack in the middle of Round Two with JRA. At least we know what to do this time around. Now, we just need to get Mia's inflammation down and get her back to feeling better. Please continue to keep her in your prayers (and us, too)!

Barometric Pressure?

As I have mentioned in the past, the purpose of this blog is to record and JRA issues Mia may be having. She has been fine for the last month or so...until today. She has been complaining all day long that her left knee has been hurting. So, I did some of her at-home PT exercises with her and applied dry heat to the joint to help loosen it up.

In the past, whenever we were about to get a snow storm, Mia's joints swelled up from the barometric pressure. It became a pattern: storm + pressure = inflamed joints. And we are expecting another major storm tomorrow, so I am going to see how she is after that. If she isn't better in the next few days, I am going to call her PT to schedule an appointment.

Stay tuned.....

"No Evidence of Arthritis"

Today was a big day, a HUGE day for Mia (and for our family). We took Mia to see Dr. Lopez and after examining her joints he told us...

"There is no evidence of arthritis in her body."

Praise God!! We are so completely happy! It has been over a year now since Mia's initial diagnosis of JRA. It has been a long, hard road for all parties involved. Medicines, physical therapy sessions, occupational therapy sessions, leg braces, MRIs, ultrasounds, x-rays, TONS of blood work, TONS of tears (from both daughter and mommy) and now, finally, we are on the other side of things! It feels amazing. More than amazing....it is a dream come true! Our daughter no longer limps, no longer drags her leg when she walks, no longer cries in the middle of the night while she is sleeping. She runs, climbs, jumps and plays like any other child her age. She just finished eight weeks of ballet classes and enjoyed every minute of it. She is blessed. We are blessed!

So, what's up next? Well, her doctor gave us permission to start weaning her off of the naproxen! He said it will take three to six months to wean her off of it because they keep the dosage the same, but don't increase it as Mia gets bigger. So, provided she doesn't have any flare-ups between now and then, we will be able to take her off of the medicine she has been on for over a year now. We will have to keep up with the eye doctor appointments to check for uveitis and pay a visit to see Dr. Lopez three months from now, but that is it! Hooray!!!!

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for Mia and for us. We greatly appreciate you standing with us and believing for our daughter's health to be completely restored.

We have overcome! :)

Back to the Rheumy!

This week is the BIG WEEK! We are heading back to the rheumatologist on Thursday morning for another check-up for Mia. We are believing he will still be impressed with the improvements she has made and maybe, just MAYBE, we can start weaning her off of the naproxen. She has been on it for over a year now - 7.5 mls twice a day.

So, please keep Mia in your prayers this week!! I will post an update on Thursday to let you know what the results are of the appointment. :)

Slowing Down...

As you can tell from the dates of my posts, things are slowing down...with JRA. And we couldn't be happier! We are at a different place now than we were a year ago - physically for Mia; emotionally for us. We are stronger. We have come through a very difficult time for our family. And, we are very, very blessed!

Mia is still on a gluten-free, dairy-free diet. We have added eggs back into her diet (this past July), to which her body doesn't seem to mind. And it makes it MUCH easier for me when it comes to baking and cooking for Mia.

She is still seeing a physical therapist, but only once a month now. She still takes 7.5 mls of naproxen twice a day and 1 tsp. of cod liver oil every morning to help keep her joints loose and keep the inflammation down. In December at her next rheumy appointment, we are hoping Dr. Lopez will say we can start weaning her off of the naproxen. And then we will start adding things back into her diet to see what causes a flare.

Here is an update to give you an idea of how much better Mia is doing:

Comparison of last year to now...starting from head to toe:

• Last year: her elbow was bent at -8 degrees. She would cry or pull away from you if you tried to straighten it.
• Now! Her elbow is almost straight. On her worst day, it is bent at -3 degrees.
  
  
• Last year: her knee was bent at -20 degrees and was as big as a tennis ball. She was dragging her leg and limping all of the time. She could not run, jump and could hardly keep up when walking. People were constantly asking me if she injured her leg or if she fell. It was awful!!
  
• Now! She will be finishing her very first ballet class this Saturday. I almost cried during her very first class...it was hard to hold back the tears. I was SO PROUD!! She can run, jump and dance without any difficulty. She has minimal fluid on her knee, but she does have a boney overgrowth of cartilage on the inside of her knee that has developed from the arthritis. She still can't hyper extend her leg (get her heel off of the ground) when she is sitting down and it is straight out in front of her, but we know that will come in time. She is starting to alternate legs when going up the stairs. We are still working on helping her to get over her fear of going on the climbers at the park, but know she will eventually conquer her fear and not feel like she has to be cautious to protect her joints.
  
  
• Last year: At her initial diagnosis, they said that her ankle had some swelling and fluid on it. One month later, her rheumy said her ankle was fine. :)
• Now! Her ankle is still fine...still no swelling (nor will there be any!)
  
  
• Last year: Her big toe on her right foot was swollen and very large, along with her second toe on her left foot. This is the first thing that alerted us that there was a problem when she was 15 months old.
• Now! Her other toes seem to be catching up to her big toe and it seems to be getting smaller.

Overall, she is doing great!! She is much more active than she was a year ago. It is great to see her so happy. We look back on this past year and are so proud of the things she has overcome. She had to endure a lot, especially in the beginning, and came through it with flying colors. She is looking forward to sledding and building snowmen this winter...what every normal, healthy child enjoys doing. She is tackling life head on, full throttle - leaving JRA in the dust!

Two GOOD Reports!

Well, Mia had her appointment with her rheumy last Thursday and he said everything looks good! He did notice a bit of swelling and inflammation on her left knee still, but very minimal. Also, he was concerned because she still can't hyper-extend her left leg. She can with her right, but not with her left.

So, for now, he wants us to continue on the naproxen and see him in two months from now for another follow-up appointment.

On Friday, Mia went to the eye doctor's again for her every-three-months appointment. The doctor dilated her eyes this time and took a peek all the way in the back and there are no signs of uveitis!! Praise God! :)

That's the latest. We've come a long way and will continue to keep her on the diet until she is off of the naproxen completely. Hooray!! :)

We are continuing with PT and OT (once a month now for both). Also, Mia has an evaluation coming up in the next couple of weeks with our town's public school system to get her transferred over from E.I. to their program. She can only be a part of E.I. until the day before she turns three (which is two months from today!). I've heard great things about their program and am hoping the eval goes great and they accept her so she can receive PT/OT services from them.

GF Rice Crispy Treats!

I get excited when I find new GF-DF treats for Mia and am constantly on "the hunt" for different. Last night, I was out at Trader Joe's and happened upon these little tasties:

I am really excited about them, too, because she has a bunch of parties coming up at school and I don't want her to feel left out! Three cheers for TJ's rice crispy bars!

One Year Later...

Hello! 

I've taken a bit of a break because my parents have been in town with us and we have been quite busy over the last several weeks. Mia got moved up to the next class at school (she is now in the three-year-old's class with her new teacher, Miss Linda). And we've attended birthday parties, gone to the apple orchard and played outside as much as we can because the chilly winter air is right around the corner!

So, we are in our third month now since Mia's last visit with Dr. Lopez and it has been a NICE break...for all of us. We have reduced her PT & OT to once a month and she has been doing great. Mia is now in ballet classes every Saturday morning (which has been approved by both her doctor and her therapists). She is still taking naproxen twice a day (7.5 mls), but no flare ups or inflammation issues!!

We meet with Dr. Lopex next Thursday for a check-up. Three months from THAT appointment, if Mia continues to do as well as she has been doing, he said we can start to wean her off of the naproxen. Hooray!

We have added eggs back into her diet...so far, so good! However, we are waiting on the dairy and the gluten until after she is off of the naproxen completely because it would be hard to tell if either of those things are affecting her while she is on the medicine.

Also, Mia goes back next Friday for another appointment with the eye doctor. This time they will dilate her eyes to get a good look all the way into the back to check for inflammation, which we are believing there will be none of!

All-in-all, it has been a nice break..from everything. It was one year ago this month that she was diagnosed...and it has been a rough year for all of us, but especially for her. I pray we go into the new year a bit better than we did last year. We were completely blindsided by JRA and I am definitely ready to say goodbye to 2008 (for many reasons...more than just JRA). Mia endured a ton of appointments, many therapy sessions, blood work (again and again and again!), an MRI, ultrasounds and x-rays, a leg brace, medicines, iron supplements for anemia, bandage wraps for her elbow, many STIFF (and tearful) mornings, and one horrible flare-up last November. She is no longer dragging her leg or limping when she walks. And her elbow is almost there...bent just a few degrees. She has been running more, jumping more and enjoying life more. Looking back, I am SO GLAD we put her on the diet when we did because I don't think we'd be where we are right now if we didn't. Best decision we made for her!

It is so good to be on the other side of things now. :)

Birthday Parties

Not only does Mia have a birthday party to attend this Saturday for one of her classmates at school, but I was informed earlier this week that two of Mia's classmates are celebrating their birthdays this week at school, as well. Therefore, there will be TWO birthday parties this Thursday and one more on Saturday. Suddenly, I get this sinking feeling in my stomach. Birthday parties means "party food" and "party food" means pizza, ice cream and cake - three things Mia can't have.

Lucky for me, one of Mia's teachers is a friend of mine who informed me what the menu will be: cupcakes at 10:00 a.m. (why anyone would give three year olds cupcakes this early in the morning is beyond me!) and then pizza and MORE cupcakes for lunch. Woah! Can anyone say "sugar overload?" Good luck getting those 20 kids down for naps! Ack!

So, in the attempt to make sure my daughter does not feel left out, I headed out to Whole Foods, hoping to hunt down a GF-DF pizza just for her. I've already made GF-DF cupcakes for her - piece of cake! Heh heh! But, Mia hasn't had pizza in almost a year now. Birthday parties can be a BIG headache for parents who have kids who are on special diets.

However, I struck it rich today! Low and behold, in the frozen foods isle at WF, I discovered these:

Amy's Single Serve Non-Dairy Rice Crust Cheeze Pizza

I quickly snatched up three of them (costing an arm and a leg - about $20) and made one for Mia for dinner tonight to try it out on her before sending it in with her to school tomorrow. She LOOOOVED it! And I almost cried....and then quickly regained my composure after Mia gave me this funny, teenageresque look like, "Mom...what is wrong with you??" LOL! It has been sooo long since she has been able to eat something like that. And I enjoyed every moment of it. Probably more than she did!

Suddenly, I love birthday parties once again. :)

Joint pain...

I received a phone call from Mia's school today. They said she woke up from nap time crying and holding her knees and saying that her knees hurt. So, they held her for a bit and tried to comfort her...and then ended up calling me at work.

She did tell me this morning at breakfast that her knees hurt, but sometimes it is hard to tell with her. I didn't question her about it and probably should have. I didn't physically check her out and I probably should have. She's been doing so well lately. And it is hard when you have to get everybody dressed, fed and out the door so you can get yourself to work. I was a bad mommy today for not paying attention.

She just changed classes from the two-year-old class up to the three-year-old class. So, I have to re-inform her new teachers & aides of her health issues and special diet. It is like starting from the beginning again. And I have been avoiding it. Because I am tired. And some days I wish this was all over with.

Her new teacher was very kind on the phone. She asked what they could do to help and what they should do in the future if she has a flare. I told her I will bring in her rice pack that they use on her during her PT sessions. They can put that on her knee(s) to warm them up after nap time before she jumps back into playtime. I am hoping today was just some mild stiffness from just waking up from her nap (and that this morning's incident was just morning stiffness...nothing more than that!). They said she seems to be doing better, but they were very concerned. It is hard to tell when you aren't there to actually see her and know what is going on. Her teacher told me this class is much more active than Mia's previous class, so perhaps she just overexerted herself today? That's my guess.

Perhaps she is having pain because we've introduced eggs back into her diet? I don't know. Hopefully, she is better when we pick her up from school today.

I stumbled across this picture of her today. She was 3.5 months old here....hard to imagine she will be 3 years old in just a few months. In such a short amount of time she has gone through so much.

Heh heh...I loved this outfit! Her Grammy and Papa bought it for her. It reminds me of something my mother would have put me in. I was always dressed in red. :)

Sweet, sweet baby girl. We love you so much!

Autoimmune Ailments: Suggested Diet Plan

This was given to me by a family nutritionist. The diet plan was created for adults so I modified it a bit to make it more kid-friendly (come on...how many kids are going to eat salmon or sardines?!?!). Also, based upon my research, there were a few items that were included in the diet plan that are on the "No No List" for inflammation. Keep in mind, this is just a suggested meal plan.

Autoimmune Ailments
(Colitis, Crohn’s Disease, Type I Diabetes during onset, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Lupus, Myasthenia Gravis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome)

breakfast

• 2-3 omega-3 eggs any style, grilled sweet potato or sweet potato pancakes with maple syrup, strawberry-kiwi iced herbal tea
• Reheated leftover chicken or turkey or other meat, 1 fruit
• Smoked or leftover salmon, sweet potatoes with rosemary, green tea
• 3-4 Tbsp. freshly ground almonds with other nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, dried coconut) and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in food processor, herb tea iced/warm
• Organic almond butter (Maranatha) on a celery stick

lunch and dinner

• Buffalo, turkey burger or lean hamburger with lettuce, tomato and cole slaw. Ketchup, mustard and pickle relish may be used if desired
• Beef stew (Beef, assorted vegetables, wheat-free soup stock, herbs and spices)
• Broiled red snapper with Shiitake mushrooms, steamed broccoli, green salad
• 5-8 ounces broiled salmon, tomato sauce w/oregano, thyme, garlic, grilled vegetables, roasted parsnips, Caesar salad
• 1 free range chicken breast with rosemary, roasted onions or garlic, spinach salad.
• Fillet mignon, baked/grilled sweet potatoes with rosemary and olive oil, steamed asparagus, salad with flaxseed dressing

snacks

• Handful of raw assorted nuts, roasted garlic or almond butter on celery, organic fresh or dried fruit of any kind, Cascadian farm organic Sorbet or fruit pops

beverages

• 8 oz. Fresh mixed vegetable juice 1-2x per day
• Green drinks: Green Magma, Kyogreen, or Green Kamut: 1 tsp. 1-3x day in water
• Herbal Teas: Licorice, Slippery Elm, Chamomile, Ginger
• Spinach Smoothies

eliminate grains
Eliminate wheat and the other three gluten containing grains: oats, barley, and rye. Wheat is found in bread, breadsticks, rolls, cereals, pasta, crackers, cakes, cookies, and most cereals. Avoiding all grains (including rice, millet, amaranth, etc.) for three to six months is recommended if possible as well. Then, after 3-6 months, reintroduce rice and wild rice, millet and other non-glutinous grains to see if the patient can tolerate them.

eliminate dairy products
This includes milk, butter, kefir, cheese, and even soy cheese products containing the milk protein casein. Yogurt may be tolerated in small amounts because the lactic acid in the yogurt denatures the proteins that may be allergenic in other dairy products. Whey protein may be tolerated, as it does not contain casein.

also avoid
Beans, lentils, yeasted foods, blue cheese, tempeh, tofu, soy protein isolate (these soy products contain alpha-gliadin), peanuts, citrus fruits, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, and safflower, sunflower and corn oils

suggestions and goals
The goal is to remove all foods that may be triggering the body to attack its own tissues. Researchers believe that one of the possible causes of autoimmune ailments is certain foods that are new to humanity (grain products, dairy products, lentils and beans, and yeasted foods) which have only appeared in the past 40,000 years. Meats, nuts, vegetables and fruits have been eaten for over 2 million years. Therefore, returning to a diet that is made of meat, nuts, and produce may remove one of the main offending causes behind autoimmune problems. It can take 3-6 months to assess whether this program is effective.

If possible, get a moderate amount of exercise, 20 minutes of sunshine per day, a good nights sleep. Take epsom salt baths 1-2 times per week. Add 4 cups of epsom salts to a warm bath and stay in for 10-15 minutes.

supplements (these are adult dosages...not for kids!!)

• Acidophilus and Bifidobacteria// 1-3 teaspoons of powder (Natren)
• EPA/DHA// 1,000-10,000 mg (1-10 Tbsp. Super Max EPA)
  (approach doses above 5 g/day with close supervision)
• Glutamine// 1-5 grams
• GLA 240// 1-3 capsules
• Flaxseed Oil// 1-3 tablespoons
• Vitamin C// 1-3,000 mg
• Vitamin E// 400 IUs
• Selenium// 200-400 mcg
• N-Acetyl-Glucosamine (NAG)// 300-900 mg
• Bovine cartilage// 9 grams/Twelve 750 mg capsules/day (Vita Carte)
  (use with caution—may overstimulate immune system in some)
• Magnesium// 400-800 mg
• Siberian Ginseng Extract// 50-200 mg of powdered extract or 1-2ml of liquid
• Olive leaf extract// 1-3 capsules per day

rheumatoid arthritis:
Curcuminoids// 400-1,000
Quercetin// 300-900 mg

Those with rheumatoid arthritis should read "The New Arthritis Breakthrough" by Henry Scammell. Highly recommended reading: The Tao of Immunity by Dr. Mark Lappé. Also, "The Maker's Diet" and "Patient Heal Thyself" by Jordan S. Rubin

Saying Our Goodbyes...

We met with Mary today. While it was a good appointment, there is still some areas in Mia's body that need help - her left knee was puffy underneath her kneecap and her right elbow is still very bent. Mia still has a hard time rotating her right arm so that her palm is facing upward. While these are minor things compared to what other children may be dealing with, they are still issues that prohibit Mia each and every day.

However, Mary agreed with Mia's rheumy that she is in a better spot than she was several months ago. SO....we are reducing her PT to once a month, unless she has a flare. Mary said many kids do well and then return later on down the road if there is a flare. If this happens to Mia, Mary said all we need to do is call them up and let them know. Since Mia has already been seen by them and has a history with them, she will be placed at the top of the list to be seen. Mary said this is their protocol for all JRA patients. Which is very nice...and, as a mom and the one who is in charge of and attends all of her appointments, this brings me much relief. But, for now, we are going to hold onto Mary and see her once a month. Her concern (and mine) is that Mia may be affected by the cold weather in the next several months. So, we don't want to discontinue completely in the event that she experiences any pain from the weather, like she has in the past.

So, for now, we said "goodbye" to Mary...until next month. Mia was very sad, but I explained to her that she won't be saying "goodbye" forever...just for a few weeks. So, we have given up our much-coveted, 10:00 a.m. morning slot and now we have to call ahead and just take whatever cancellations they have available.

With the cold weather approaching (*sigh*) and as an alternative to PT, we are going to look into aquatic therapy for Mia for the fall. This will help keep her joints fluid and her rheumy said many JRA patients have benefited from it. The only problem now is finding a pool. I checked with EI and they said they don't offer anything through their program. There are three pools in our area: one is about to close, and the other two don't do pediatrics. However, there is a center in Salem, NH that has a pool. I am going to contact them this week to see if we can get Mia on their list. If I can find a pool for Mia, then we need to contact our insurance company and see if they will cover it because most of the time they will only cover aquatic therapy OR PT. Not both.

In regards to OT, well, the new OT really isn't an OT...she is a PT. And we already have a PT. And while we love the social worker who works with Mia's language skills. frankly, I have NO idea why she has been assigned to have help in her social skills. On her initial eval when Mia was 22 months, she scored at a 26-month-old level in language/speech skills (surprise, surprise!). I think we all know that Mia can talk...and talk WELL! I guess they heard her throw in what they call "jargon" in the middle of her sentences and they consider this to be a speech delay. HA! My daughter has no type of speech delay whatsoever. To be sure, I asked her PT today if she thought Mia had a delay. She laughed, too. She said that Mia's language and cognitive learning skills are where they should be and that definitely does not have a delay. I had to be sure. I am her mother and I can understand EVERYTHING she says, even when it is mixed with "jargon." it is nice to have it confirmed by someone who only sees her once a week.

So, I told Cheryl (social worker), that we want to reduce our services. To which she told me that they, too, can do the once-a-month thing, but that only one therapist can attend. So, I told her, in a way as to not hurt her feelings, that since Mia's diagnosis requires more physical therapy than social, that we would go with Stella.

So, Stella will be visiting once a month. And Mia had to say "goodbye" to Cheryl. I think Cheryl almost cried. She hugged Mia for a very long time. It is hard when a child and a therapist develop a relationship and then have to say "goodbye." It is even hard for the parent(s). Cheryl has been working with Mia for almost a year now! But, Cheryl will remain the service coordinator and when we meet with the public school system next month we she will attend those meetings to help transition Mia over to their program. We are definitely going to continue to pursue getting her in with the public schools because their services are free and, should Mia have a flare, we will have another resource to fall back on.

While Mia is doing very well right now, I need to keep in mind that the JRA is not totally gone. It has not completely left her body yet. To many who know her, she looks fine. But, I know what to look for and what she still struggles with and there is still a battle to fight. I am reminded of those parents whose children had JRA when they were Mia's age and when they were a bit older experienced an unexpected flare which put them back at the beginning again (and on stronger meds the second/third time around). While are a hoping for the best and believing for a good report in October when she returns to the rheumy, we are also reminded that we need to continue fighting until she is completely JRA-free. And she will be...one day! :)

Why People With Arthritis Should Avoid Nightshade Vegetables.

I know I have posted about this before, but I am posting about it again because I have received several emails from JRA families who are inquiring as to what steps we have taken with Mia to improve her quality of life. Besides gluten, dairy and eggs, we also eliminated the "nightshade family" vegetables from her diet, which include:

• potatoes (not sweet potatoes)
• tomatoes
• eggplant
• sweet and hot peppers (including paprika, cayenne pepper and Tabasco sauce)
• ground cherries
• tomatillos and tamarillos
• garden huckleberry and naranjillas
• pepinos and pimentos

Nightshade vegetables are among the foods that some people feel can trigger arthritis flares.

In the next several posts, I will also share the protocols that have helped our daughter, in the hopes these protocols will help other children out there who are suffering from JRA. Children should have a happy, healthy, pain-free childhood. They shouldn't have to wait until they are in their teens to see if they are of the 82% who outgrow their JRA.

No child should wake up in the morning and be in excruciating pain as soon as their feet hit the floor. No child should be on steriods and NSAIDS for a prolonged period of time. And no child should be robbed of a healthy childhood.

Children were designed to live happy, non-restricted lives. They were designed to climb trees, do cartwheels all over their backyard and be in gymnastics and ballet recitals. For this very reason, we decided to go the natural route for our daughter. We were desperate and willing to try anything to help her. And this has worked for us. Granted, everyone's arthritis is different, but isn't it at least worth a try? I think it is.

Overcoming...Again!

Our appointment with Dr. Lopez went very well today. He said Mia still has some stiffness in her right elbow and bony overgrowth in her left knee and right toe. To people who don't know what to look for, she just looks normal to them. But, Jay and I can see it. We know the challenges she has faced and is currently facing and how the arthritis prevents her from doing normal, every day activities. She doesn't run as fast as the other kids. She doesn't take part in physical activities that other children are interested in. She still has trouble walking up and down the stairs. It will take time, but I believe she will live a normal, healthy life.

The bone scan that she had done last month did confirm that her left leg is longer than her right. Which could be the reason why she still has trouble walking or why she walks so slow and it constantly feels like we are pulling her along when she holds onto our hands. Our friends' daughter who was diagnosed with JRA at an early age is the same way. She also walks verrrrry slow because of the arthritis.

Sooooooo.....here's where we are at now:

SIX MONTHS FROM TODAY if she does not have any flare-ups, if her sed rate remains low (below 19) and if there aren't any other issues (uveitis - inflammation in her eyes), then he is going to start to wean her off of the naproxen. Hooray! However, if anything negative occurs during those six months then that just sets her back from getting off of the naproxen.

As far as therapy goes, he left that decision up to us. He said if we stopped it that we had to make sure that we are doing all of the PT at home with her on our own....something neither one of us has much time for. Or, we could just have Early Intervention come to the house once a week like they have been doing and we could cancel our other PT session with Mary. The only thing that is holding me back from canceling with Mary, besides the fact that Mia LOVES her and she is a really great therapist, is the change in weather in the next several months. We've seen how cold temperatures affects Mia's joints and I would hate to cancel with Mary and then have to call her up again should Mia have a flare-up once the fall/winter season is upon us. And who knows if we will even be able to get in with Mary again!! So, we have a lot to consider regarding therapy. I want to talk to Mary and see if we can go down to once a month just for now....so as to not lose our spot with her.

We are going to actively start adding things back into her diet. I am going to try her with the whole egg this Friday (ack!). I don't want to do it tomorrow only because she has to go to school and I would hate for something to occur there where we can't be there to help her. So, I am going to wait until Friday where I will at least be close by should she have any issues.

After that, I think we will try dairy. Ugh. And I'll save those worries for another day.

Today is a good day - she is in a much better place than she was nine months ago. We have much to celebrate!

Up On Deck...

So, "up on deck" for this week is (drum roll, please!) .......

......another trip to see the rheumy.

We head BACK into Boston (the story of our lives...or at least the past 9 months!) this Wednesday for another check-up. Hey, at least they have a great Au Bon Pain across the street. We've made that our official "hang out" place when Mia has those longer appointments or if we need to grab a yummy snack when our meeting with the doc is over. :)

In other news:
Mia had a great session today at PT. Mary said she is looking really good. Her only concerns are the fluid that is still on her left knee and that Mia seems to be rotating her left hip inward when she walks. Mary took measurements again of Mia's left leg (hip to ankle) and of her knee. Mia's left leg is still 1cm longer than her right. That may be the reason why she is turning inward when she walks. Other than that, she said she looks good! She told us to inquire with her rheumy if she still needs PT or not. Wouldn't that be nice!

Foods revisited:
Because Mia's sed rate was so low at the end of May, we have decided that now would be a good time to start trying to add things back into her diet. So, we started with egg whites about a week ago. So far, so good. The only thing I am concerned about is that Mia has had bad diarrhea in the last week or so (again yesterday). I am thinking it is related to the egg whites because it is the only new thing we've added into her diet. So, we shall see. I haven't tried giving her the yolk of the egg yet because if anything is going to cause a flare it will be that. So, perhaps one day, when I am feeling ultra brave, I will offer her the whole egg. We need to figure out this diarrhea thing first, though. Kind of interesting that she has symptoms like this when she is on THREE meds that are VERY binding. Ugh...who knows!

More later on our trip into Boston...

Friday's Checkup

For those who have been keep up with my updates concerning Mia, this past Friday I took her to her three-month checkup with the eye doctor. Her doctor took a peek in her eyes and confirmed, once again, there is absolutely no inflammation in either of her eyes. This is wonderful news!!

We go back in September for another examination.

Unfortunately...

As many of you know, this is my personal journal/log of all the JRA-related events that have occurred with Mia. Yes, I blog about the good things, but, for my own record, I also blog about topics that may not be suitable for those readers who have weak stomachs. So, this is your warning. If you are that type of person (like my husband...heh heh!), then don't read this entry. :)

Yesterday morning, Mia had some blood in her stool. So, I paged the rheumatologist. He has been wondering if she's had G.I. bleeding all along. Her hematocrit level is still low, and this has caused him to wonder "Why the sudden drop when she was doing so great up until now?!?" So, he told me to take her over to her pediatrician's office to have them examine her to rule out if it is a tear (anal fissure) or not. If there isn't a tear, then he wants her to be seen by a G.I. specialist, in which they will probably have to sedate her and take a look inside. Great.

At the ped's office, the doctor (not Mia's regular ped...he was off that day) examined her and said there is a "suspicious area" that was very small, not irritated and the same color as the rest of the surrounding skin. She said it was hard to tell and advised us to wait a day to see if there was more blood. She thinks it would be best if we made the appointment to see the specialist to rule out any G.I. bleeding. This wouldn't hurt, but at the same time I don't want to put her through any unnecessary procedures if we don't have to. :o\

So, we are waiting for the next time she has to go to the bathroom to check to see if there is more blood. And then we will go from there. If it is internal bleeding then we will most likely have to take her off of the naproxen...which is a whole other issue for a whole other blog.

Moving on...

New OT: Ugh...not so sure about this one. She isn't actually an OT either...she is another PT. We already have a PT who Mia loves. We need an OT. Not to mention this new woman doesn't seem to interact with Mia...at all! So, I've voiced my complaint...stay tuned.

Eye Exam: It's that time again. This Friday Mia goes back in to the eye doctor to have them check for uveitis. We are believing for another good report! :)

Current meds/supplements:

• Naproxen (7.5 mls; twice a day)
• Zantac (2 mls; twice a day)
• Ferros Sulfate Elixir (1/2 tsp.; three times a day)
• Cod Liver Oil: (1 tsp.; once a day)

PT got moved to Wednesday this week because Mia has/had laryngitis over the weekend so I had to cancel her appointment on Monday. They wanted to put her on amoxicylin for the laryngitis, but I am waiting this one out. She is on enough meds right now as it is. Why add one more to the mix if we don't need to? Her immune system is already at a weakened state - why make things worse?

So, that's this week in a nutshell. Will update everyone soon on the blood issues.

Not Your Average Gluten-Free Menu!

One of my favorite restaurants out here in the northeast is "Not Your Average Joe's." They have wonderful foccacia bread that you dip in olive oil, parmesean and crushed red pepper flakes. It is very yummy! The atmosphere is very modern and their menu contains a variety unusual and tasty flavors. I have never gotten a bad meal there yet.

Well, one of my dearest friends, Amy, recently told me NYAJ has a GF menu now, and a GF kid's menu at that! You have no idea how thrilled my husband and I are. No idea! We have not been to a restaurant with Mia since she was diagnosed last October because, frankly, why put her through that? Why surround her with things she can't eat and then have to explain to her exactly WHY she can't have those things right now? She's only two-and-a-half. Will she understand? Probably not. And that's not a fun dining experience for her or for us.

And why some people can't understand why we don't dine out as a family right now, we have decided this is what is best for Mia. Not many restaurants have a GF menu. And many GF menus contain dairy or eggs, two other things we are staying away from at this time. We truly believe that being on a GF diet is one of the reasons why Mia is doing so well right now and if that means we need to make some sacrifices by not going to restaurants for the time being then that is what we will do. And it is a small sacrifice to pay for our daughter's health. Yes, we miss going out to restaurants as a family, but I would rather know exactly what is in my daughter's meal so she isn't at risk for a flare-up. We've been down that road before - last November she was at a birthday party and ate a lot of something that she shouldn't have, and the next day should could not walk. Since then, we have been very careful with her diet. We aren't going to make the same mistake twice.

So, three cheers for Amy for this wonderful find! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :)

We ARE Overcoming!

Mia had her scan-o-gram done this morning at NEMC. She did a very good job and hardly even cried! We will get the results back in the next day or so.

In other news, we are VERY HAPPY to announce that Mia's sedimentation rate is back down to normal!! When she was initially diagnosed this past October, her sed rate was very high (41), which was one of the indicators that there was inflammation (arthritis) in her body. A normal sed rate is below 19. Mia's sed rate is currently at 15!! Praise God!!!

Dr. Lopez said her range looks great. She still has some fluid on her left knee and in several of her toes and her right elbow isn't as straight as it should be. But, overall, he was very pleased with the progress she has been making. So, we asked him that since her sed rate is back down to normal if she is in "remission" now, but he said "no" because there is still some fluid on the joints and that there is no way to test if arthritis has left the body or not.

Right now, his main concern is that she still has a very low hematocrit level. He told us it is one thing when your iron level is low, but when your hematocrit is low, as well, this is cause for some concern. So, he put her on a prescribed iron supplement three times a day for the next month. He said that putting her on something like a Flintstones multi-vitamin with iron isn't enough because her levels are so low that they need to "jump start" her levels again to help get her to where she needs to be. He was very thrilled to hear she is eating her spinach, though (see "Going Green"). :)

The other thing that was very low was Mia's ferritin levels. She should be at 15 and she was below 5. So, that needs to come back up, too.

After the appointment, he sent us to the lab to have them do more blood work (EIGHT vials!!!) to test for many different things to find out why her levels are so low. Her three stool samples from this past weekend came back negative for G.I. bleeding, but he said that doesn't mean there isn't bleeding in the lining which could be why her levels are so low. The other reason why her levels may be low is because she could have a blood disorder where her red blood cells are attacking one another. So, they are checking into it and we will get those results back soon.

He said she does not have to wear the leg brace right now, but wants us to continue with the naproxen. Since she is still on the naproxen, he also put her on Zantac to help with her stomach lining just in case there is any future G.I. bleeding.

We go back for a follow-up appointment on 7/23/08 where they will check her levels again. All-in-all it was a very good appointment. At the end of the appointment we spoke with him about the communication issues and he said that from here on out we should just call him directly. And to just call him even if we are unsure about something. Despite the communication issues that occurred this past month, he is a very good doctor. Mia really loves him and he is great with her. We also signed a waiver allowing him to email us with any important information. So, from here on out, even if I get a call from the pediatrician instructing us to do something that Dr. Lopez told him to tell us to do, I am still going to call Dr. Lopez to make sure this is what he wants us to do. Better safe than sorry!

Up next: Since her sed rate is normal now, we are going to try to slowly start adding things back into her diet in the next couple of weeks to see if the cause of the inflammation was diet-related. This should be interesting!!

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Mia (and us). We are seeing God's Word working mightily in her body. And a very special "thank you" to Mia's dear friend, Alizée, who dropped to her knees in her living room this morning and started to pray for her friend! God definitely heard her prayer!! :)

Pomegranate Juice Could Help Fight Arthritis

By Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent
Last updated: 1:29 AM BST 13/06/2008

A glass of pomegranate juice a day could help fight arthritis, scientists believe.

Studies have shown that extracts of the fruit can reduce inflammation in the body, one of the most common triggers of the disease.

The team behind the study, published in the Journal of Inflammation, believe that pomegranate could have the same effect on humans.

If true, it could point the way to a new treatment which could avoid the side effects of current anti-inflammatory drugs, which can include nausea and bleeding in the stomach.

The scientists, from Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, gave extracts of the fruit, equivalent to a 175ml tumbler of pomegranate juice, to rabbits.

They then tested the level of activity of certain proteins known to trigger inflammation in the animal's blood.

They found that the pomegranate extracts had inhibited the activity of many of the proteins, some by almost half.

It also raised levels of antioxidants, which can also reduce inflammation, in their blood system.

Previous experiments had shown that in laboratory tests pomegranate extract could reduce inflammation in samples of animal tissue, but it was not known whether the fruit could produce the same effects in living creatures.

The researchers believe that the study indicates that eating pomegranate or drinking the juice of the fruit could have a beneficial impact on arthritis, which affects more than 8 million people in Britain.

Tariq Haqqi, who led the study, said such a treatment could also avoid the side effects that can come with long-term use of current anti-inflammatory drugs.

However, he said that further research was needed on how well the extract is absorbed into the blood stream.

Story from Telegraph News:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/health/2116833/Pomegranate-juice-could-help-fight-arthritis.html

Going Green!

Mia's third round of blood tests showed she is still very anemic. And we are still waiting to hear back about the results of the stool samples...

So, since we need to get Mia on an iron supplement immediately, but are looking to go the "natural route," as opposed to giving her a Flintstones vitamins (loaded with sugar and tons of artificial ingredients), we stopped by Whole Foods this past weekend to see if we could find something there. We weren't able to find an "all natural" iron supplement for kids (also a gluten-free, dairy-free, eggless one), so I called our friends, the Antonellis, to see what they recommend. My friend, Georgiann, sent me this great recipe for a spinach smoothie - something she and her family (even the kids!) drink together every other day. Her daughter, Faith, loves it!

Well, low and behold, so does Mia!! I made a huge batch for all of us. My husband loved it so much he asked for seconds! We will definitely be adding this to our evening meal plans (every other night). It is even sweet and tasty enough to spoon feed to an infant. I can't wait to try it out on JJ. :)

I have also started giving Mia rice cereal in the morning which contains a ton of iron (45%). She then takes her calcium at lunch time - you can't take calcium and iron together because the cancel each other out. And then we are doing the spinach smoothies in the evening with dinner.

Anyhoo, here is the recipe for all of you out there who are also in the same boat as we are - fighting JRA the natural way!

FRUIT SMOOTHIES

• 1 banana
• 1 cup carrot juice (Costco & Wal-mart have the cheapest prices on Bolthouse Farms Carrot juice)
• 1 cup other juice (Orange Juice, cranberry, apple juice or grape; grape is the best)
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach already washed
• Frozen strawberries (Costco has beautiful large flash frozen strawberries)
• Frozen blueberries (Costco has a flash frozen blueberry, raspberry and marionberry blend that is wonderful)

Add the first 4 ingredients and blend really well. Then blend equal amounts of blueberries and strawberries adding a little at a time. Keep the blueberries frozen to make the smoothie cool and thick. Defrost the strawberries a little so the blender doesn’t have a hard time mixing. Rich with natural sugars, fiber and antioxidants. One blender full makes enough for a full glass for our whole family.

Can be frozen into popsicles for kids.

So, you see, it is possible to get your kids to eat their spinach! ;o)

Our New Friends!

Here are the pictures of our visit with our new friends, the Antonelli family. Faith, who is a couple years old than Mia, was also diagnosed with JRA at a very year age, as well. It was a very memorable evening with a very wonderful and sweet family (and delicious food...thank you, Georgiann!). I am so grateful that God allowed our paths to cross. We owe so much to this family. They have been a huge encouragement and blessing to us...more than they even know.

We look forward to many more visits with them in the future!

Faith and Mia playing and laughing together.

Faith shows Mia the pictures she
and her sisters made for Mia.

Two new friends. :)

Vacation, A Mysterious Rash, and One Absurd Day.

Well, we were on vacation for two weeks visiting my parents in Michigan. A lot has happened since then and many changes are in the works. Here's a brief summary to get everyone caught up:

1. End of May: This story is a doozy. Brace yourself.

Three urgent messages were left on our voice mail at home from Mia's rheumatologist the day after her appointment with him on 5/26. The last message told us to call the pediatrician's office immediately for more information. Nice...a very urgent and uninformative message! Apparently, something was low in her blood work and he wanted us to take her back in immediately to her pediatrician to have the blood work done all over again and to bring a stool sample with us. Nothing more was said...to us or to the pediatrician's office. After receiving a message like that, we were a bit concerned.

So, I took Mia in immediately the next morning to the pediatrician's office. I left messages all morning for Dr. Lopez. And heard nothing. Finally, I had him paged around 3:00 p.m. to find out what was going on (why couldn't he have just relayed the information to the pediatrician's office?!?!?!) Grrrr! The first thing he asked me was if I had stopped Mia's naproxen yet. WHA??? Well, if someone had left a message for us to do so then we would have. Sorry...just a little frustrated at this point. Now my mind was racing. He proceeds to tell me there is a possibility of Mia having G.I. bleeding from the naproxen (lovely...he just increased her dosage, too) and that the blood work and stool sample would give them a better idea of what is going on.

Great.

Later on that day, the pediatrician's office calls me back and tells me that she doesn't have G.I. bleeding...she is just anemic (or, as Mia says, "ameeemic"). Phew! All that craziness for nothing. So, they are going to give her an iron supplement to help with that. And they told us to continue with the naproxen.

Which brings our story to the present chain of events which occurred this past Thursday.

I was supposed to receive a phone call from Mia's pediatrician's office the week after her initial blood work to discuss an iron supplement for the anemia. Three weeks went by and I didn't hear anything from them. Granted, we went on vacation for two weeks, during which Mommy's mind went on vacation too...especially to those things which were JRA-related. I needed a break!! So, the Thursday after we returned I called her doc's office to inquire. And this is where the story gets VERY absurd...

• The ped. office tells me to start her on an over-the-counter iron supplement.
• They then call me back later to say that the Ped. talked to the Rheum. and he wants to know why we didn't stop the naproxen weeks ago? WHA?!?!?!?!?! We were instructed to continue it after the results came back that she was only anemic and there wasn't any G.I. bleeding and that they would call us to discuss the iron supplement the following week.
• So, now we are being told by the Ped. who is receiving emails from the Rheum. that we are to stop the naproxen immediately and get her on an iron supplement.
• A half-an-hour goes by and I get another call. This time the Rheum. emails the Ped. and says to tell us (OK....WHY CAN'T YOU JUST CALL THE PARENTS DIRECTLY?!?!?!?!) that Mia needs to go in immediately for more blood work and to bring in another stool sample. No further information is given as to WHY we need to bring our child in again for a third round of blood work. Yeah, I was about to blow at this point.
• So, I tell the ped. office that before I bring her in again, I need to speak to the Rheum. to get more information as to WHY she needs to come back in.
  
• I get on the horn with the Rheum. who I have to have paged because "he is 'off site' today." He calls me back. It's not a pretty conversation...so I'll leave it at that. Bottom line, he tells me that Mia's second round of blood work also showed that she still has "lowered hematocrit levels," which means there is still a chance she has G.I. bleeding. Great...we've had her on naproxen for the PAST THREE WEEKS since we were instructed to continue it!!
  
  He then proceeds to tell me they need to do a round of THREE tests in order to rule it out, in which case, we need to bring in THREE stool samples. That's funny, the ped. office told me on the phone that it was just ONE stool sample. And I love how we are hearing about this for the very first time....three weeks after the second round of blood work. At the end of our conversation, I asked him what we are to do about the naproxen and he tells me to keep her on it. OMG! After all of that...after being scolded on the phone because we didn't take her off of it three weeks ago...he tells me to keep her on it.
• So, I took Mia in for the blood work this morning and dropped off round one-of-three of the stool samples. Despite the fact she was not to happy to learn that she was going back in again for more blood work (she is WELL aware now of what that means!), she managed to make light of the situation. I overheard her telling her father that she was going back to see Dr. Maddox and "the beetle!" I told her, "No, Mia. It isn't a beetle. It is a needle!" She tells me, "No Momma...it's a beetle." Too funny!
  
• We have an appt. with the Rheum. on Wednesday (6/25) where we will all sit down together and have a nice heart-to-heart. :)
  

Lesson learned: You are your child's advocate. You are their voice. It doesn't matter if their doctor(s) get annoyed by your phone calls. It doesn't matter if they get impatient when you have them paged when they are "off site" (golfing? hmmm...perhaps.) so you can get to the bottom of things. What matters is that you get the correct and accurate information the FIRST time around.

And to think, we wouldn't have found ANY of this out if I hadn't called to inquire about an iron supplement. Come on people...do your jobs!!

Moving on...

2. Mysterious Rash: Two and a half weeks ago, after wearing her brace to bed one night, Mia woke up with a rash on the inside of her left knee...the joint that is affected. It is right on the spot where she has some boney overgrowth of cartilage due to the JRA. At first I was hoping it was just a heat rash of some sort, but we've put neosporin on it and hydrocortizone and neither one of them have helped. Her rheumatologist and pediatrician have been asking us since her initial diagnosis if Mia has had a rash or fever because those are some of the symptoms of systemic JRA.

I know there are several of you who read my blog who have children with JRA. Have any of your children ever had a rash?!?! Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated. Mia has never had a fever with the rash....just inflamed joints and now this "mystery rash."

Her rheumatologist told me that he believes it is definitely related to the arthritis, but he will know more when he takes a look at it on Wednesday.

3. New OT: I am very sad to announce that Mia's OT, Kelly, will not be able to continue her services. Kelly is due soon with her first child (hooray!!) and has decided to not return to work after the baby is born. Mia will be very sad to find out that Kelly won't be coming to visit her anymore, but we are very happy for Kelly. She was a wonderful OT and Mia loved visiting with her.

On Monday, Mia will be meeting with Stella, her new OT, for the first time. First off, I just want to say that I LOVE her name!! I am hoping she is as fun as her name is! Ha! :) During this meeting, we will be discussing Mia's transfer from Early Intervention into the public school system's services starting in December 2008. Mia will be three-years-old at that point and E.I. does not provide services past the age of three.

4. PT: Mia will still be meeting with Mary on Mondays. Mia LOVES Mary. :) You know your child has a great PT when they go away on vacation and all they can talk about is going to see their physical therapist! :)

5. Overall: We had a great vacation! We got to have dinner one night with our friends, the Antonellis, at their house whose daughter, Faith, had JRA. It was so much fun! They have three adorable, little girls - Grace, Faith and Hope. From the very first moment that Mia met Faith you would have thought they were sisters. These two little girls are so much alike. It was amazing. I just sat and watched them play together and I could have cried - two beautiful little girls with such amazing and bubbly personalities fighting a horrible chronic illness. And it really made me think - I truly believe that God gave both of them their delightful and upbeat personalities for a reason. He knew before they were born what they would face early on and He knew that by giving both of them "merry hearts" it would be like medicine to their bodies (Proverbs 17:22). God's Word is working in Mia's body and in Faith's body! :)

They have such a beautiful and blessed family and it was great to sit and talk with them while the kids played. And JJ loved being around all the girls!! :) I will post pictures soon of our visit with them. We look forward to many more visits and play dates with them when we are in town.

6. Up Next: Mia has her "scan-o-gram" scheduled for next Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. She will be meeting with the rheumatoligist afterwards. He spoke with Mia's pediactrician today and said that he believes that the rash is related to the JRA, but won't know until he takes a look at it. Please continue to pray for Mia and agree with us for a good report next Wednesday.