Hey Buggie!
You know how we talk about enthesitis - inflammation where tendons insert into bone - that's really important in juvenile AS. As a matter of fact an entity called "arthritis-enthesitis" is on one end of a spectrum, and an 'official' diagnosis of Juvenile Ankylosing Spondylitis (JAS) is on the other (they usually wait for changes on an Xray to occur before they call it JAS). Common places for enthesitis to be found are in the plantar fascia (bottom of the feet) and Achilles tendonitis (back of the heel). Unlike AS in adults, which starts more frequently as SI or lower back pain, JAS usually begins as pain the larger joints of the lower legs.
I'm glad you have an appointment with a doc first thing on Monday. I know this must be really scary for you, but I gotta tell you, kids on a whole respond soooooooooo much better to treatments. I spent part of my time this summer working in the pediatric rhematology clinic and most of the children I saw were being monitored in their first year of remission! I don't know if that's a reflection of the disease itself, or if kids just have a larger placebo effect - maybe they just trust that adults are going to make them better? Who knows?!?!? All I know is that the majority of them were feeling much better and doing "normal" kid things!
I hope with all my heart that Gianna is 100% healthy and that this is attributable to something else. Lots of deep breaths and take it one step at a time, OK? We're here for you, always.
Love,
Jeanna
It is on the edge of a petal
that love waits - WC Williams
