‘Tis the season for caring and sharing, and I know of no other mother and family who need it more—not just compassion and care, but also effective treatments for her son’s juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), also known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
Despite multiple health challenges that have affected her children, she is going strong, trying her best to keep the holiday spirit well on into the next year!
Recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, her son is one of approximately 300,000 Americans who’re living with this autoimmune disease. In their blog, the mother talks about a variety of issues associated with her son’s worsening health, which really spotlights how very difficult it is as a parent to bear. Not being able to “make it all better” has got to be gut-wrenching for her—sometimes, even a caress hurts.
She goes on to talk about how guilty she feels because she’s not able to do more—for her son, her other children, her husband, and herself. It’s a true “confessions blog,” touching on everything from their recent doctor visits and test results, worsening symptoms, to how she wishes she could do more for everyone in her family.
I admire moms and dads who are out there, holding down a job, able to run their households, care for their sick children, and STILL stay married!
Living with a chronic illness is incredibly difficult, but having multiple children with chronic illnesses is beyond understanding at times. Somehow, parents are able to put one foot in front of the other—day in and day out—to be a good mom or dad for their children. I can just imagine this mom decorating their home, trying to do even the simplest things for her kids to bring them joy.
As JIA affects everyone in the family, I’d like to hear from you in hopes that you have tips to share on how to pace yourself to care for your children, as well as yourself.
