Je Souhaite

I was three years old when I woke up screaming in pain. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis in my right knee less then two days later. By the time I was eight years old, the Arthritis had spread to both of my knees, my ankles, fingers, wrists, elbows, lower spine, and left jaw. I go through pain during the day that many people my age can't even begin to understand.

I wasn't allowed to play sports when I was younger - the high-impact activities would damage my joints even further. I loved soccer and baseball when I was younger. My father and I used to play all the time at the bus stop with all the other neighborhood kids as we waited for the bus to pick us up.

I was forever alienated from my peers as I grew up. Because of the limitations of my joints, it was painful to sit on the floor during story time. I always sat on a chair, despite my dream of being normal.
Arthritis is caused by your body literally attacking itself, antibodies viewing your normal cells as hostile invaders. It is a strange pain that I can't even begin to describe.

I curse my body every morning as I struggle to just be able to get out of bed, to move, to be normal. Why my body decided to attack itself. There is no explanation as to why some bodies do this, and yet some don't. There is no cure.

We can only dream of an end the pain.