The hardest part wasn’t getting the diagnosis. It was what comes after that.
FEELING STABLE
Amalia was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis when she was two and a half. She has lived with the condition for almost her entire life - but hasn’t had a flare-up for the last eight years.
It started with a swollen knee
I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis when I was two and a half.
I remember just falling over one day and that was it, quite simple. I ended up having a really swollen knee. It was really painful and I couldn’t walk.
My symptoms continued this way for the following month. I was admitted to the nearest children’s hospital and I stayed, from what my mum said, for around 20 days.
The hardest part wasn’t getting the diagnosis
The hardest part of my journey wasn’t to get the diagnosis. It was what comes after that.
I had to start treatment and basically the treatment was steroids. I was taking cortisone for a couple of years, on and off, and when this way of treatment didn’t work for me I had to undergo a joint aspiration in the OR because I was way too young to cooperate with the doctors.
The symptoms I had were swelling, increased temperature in the joints, reduced mobility. Sometimes it was really hard for me to walk.
I’d say morning stiffness as well, because I remember trying to move myself out of bed in the morning and it was really hard sometimes.
My childhood wasn’t a carefree memory
My childhood wasn’t a carefree memory. I had to be mature, I had to be responsible and I had to take care of myself.
But here I am now.
I haven’t had a joint aspiration since I was 14 and I haven’t had a flare-up the last eight years.
There is nothing you cannot do
Looking back, what I’ve learned is there is nothing you cannot do. You just need to adjust your life based on your needs.
And another thing was all about your attitude. If you have an attitude where you want the others to feel sorry about you, or if you want to feel sorry about yourself, this is going to happen. You’re going to project that to the others and it’s going to come back to you.
It’s your life. There will be better days one day.
Why I’m a mOI member
Instagram: @amalia_fotopoulou
Having lived with juvenile idiopathic arthritis since childhood, Amalia understands the value of keeping sight of her health over time, even when things are going well. She joined mOI to help her stay connected to her immune health and keep track of what matters as her life and health change.
For Amalia, mOI offers a way to keep sight of her health history, results and changes over time, even while she is feeling well.