Juvenile Arthritis and Swimming...a Great Combination

Savannah had her first swim meet today...it was a great success!  She swam with all her heart and her joints handled it wonderfully.  Savannah is so blessed in so many ways and we thank God for the Prattville Christian Academy swim team! Thank you to all who have prayed for Savannah as we celebrate this blessing together!

Yes, life with Juvenile Arthritis is a roller coaster, and we thank God for times like these that are wonderful and down right fun!  ... And when we hit a dip or crazy part of this ride/journey with arthritis...we will remember days like today...and we will be thankful.

Juvenile Arthritis -Teenage Years and Junior High - What Helps

I haven't posted in a long while...sorry about that.  Sometimes you just don't know what to say, because life is a roller coaster with juvenile arthritis.

SO....here are some helpful ideas for living with arthritis as an 8th grader, so far.

1. Savannah's locker:  All lockers at Savannah's junior high school have a lock built into the locker....all lockers but ONE...Savannah's locker.  This is because the school physically removed Savannah's lock on her locker because her hands are not able to maneuver the opening of the lock due to the arthritis in her fingers and hands.  We are thankful to the school for doing this...sometimes you just have to ask.

2.  Savannah has joined the school swim team!  This is a huge thing, because this is the first sport she has played that has really not affected her joints for the negative...in fact, the movement is great for her joints!! Soccer may be a thing of the past (so much running was killing her ankles and feet), but swim...well, it is a blessing from God for Savannah.  Looking for a great school sport for arthritis...try SWIMMING!

3.  Savannah still uses her pencil grip to write every day, but sometimes there are too many notes to write down for hands with arthritis to manage.  So, Savannah takes her phone or computer and takes a picture of the notes on the board as the teacher writes them down.  She then prints them up on our printer and puts them in her notebook for future studying and notebook checks.

4.  SUCK IT UP!  Yes, this is the term we use amongst ourselves.  Sometimes, no matter how much it hurts, you just have to "suck it up" and deal with the pain as best you can.  If Savannah wants to wear some cute shoes without her shoe inserts, she "sucks it up".  If Savannah wants to run the football on and off the field as "ball girl" to help manage the varsity football team on Friday nights, she "sucks it up" (even though this simple act makes her feet and ankles scream by the end of the game).  Get the point?! Don't let arthritis stop you from doing things that are most important to you. 

Savannah's life is more than arthritis...it is full of so many opportunities and blessings.