Life with...Arthritis

Summary

This video script tells the stories of individuals living with arthritis in Ireland, highlighting the challenges faced by both children and adults. It features personal accounts of pain, mobility issues, and the impact on daily life. The narrative also explores the journey of diagnosis, treatment options including biologic drugs, and the emotional toll of living with a chronic condition. Despite the hardships, it emphasizes the resilience and hope of those affected, showcasing how they strive to maintain a normal life and the importance of health education and support.

Takeaways

• 🦴 Arthritis is a joint disease that causes swelling and pain, with no current cure and various causes.
• 👶 Over 700,000 people in Ireland live with arthritis, including 1,000 children affected by juvenile forms of the disease.
• 😓 Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis can cause extreme chronic joint pain, impacting the daily lives of children like Neeve Costello.
• 💉 Treatments like steroid injections can bring temporary relief, but arthritis often returns after periods of remission.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Exercise like swimming and physiotherapy are crucial for keeping joints flexible and managing pain.
• 🤕 Arthritis flare-ups cause painful joint inflammation and can occur without warning, impacting mobility and daily activities.
• 👩‍⚕️ Managing juvenile arthritis involves regular medical interventions, including blood tests and new treatments like biologic injections.
• 💪 Arthritis patients like Laura Hickey and Neeve Costello are determined to live active lives despite their conditions, using pain management techniques.
• 👨‍👩‍👧 The support of family members is essential for young arthritis patients, with full-time caregivers playing a key role.
• 🔬 New research and health education are providing hope for arthritis sufferers, offering better treatment options and understanding of the condition.

Q & A

What is arthritis and what are its effects on the human body?

Arthritis is a disease that affects the joints, causing swelling and pain. It can impact mobility at any age, with osteoarthritis being common in older individuals due to wear and tear of joints, while juvenile arthritis affects children and teenagers, including forms like rheumatoid arthritis.

How many people in Ireland are reported to be living with arthritis?

Over 700,000 people in Ireland are living with different kinds of arthritis, including approximately 1,000 children.

What is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and how does it affect children?

Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is an unusual and severe form of arthritis in children, characterized by chronic joint pain. It can limit mobility and cause significant discomfort, affecting the child's daily activities and quality of life.

How did Neeve Costello's arthritis first manifest and how was it initially perceived by her parents?

Neeve's arthritis first manifested with a sense of heat in her joints, swelling, and stiffness. Her parents initially perceived it as growing pains and thought her shoes were too tight, not realizing the severity of her condition until her knee swelled significantly.

What challenges does Laura Hickey face due to her arthritis, and how does she manage them?

Laura Hickey faces challenges such as pain management, side effects from medication, and maintaining independence. She manages these challenges through various treatments, including biologic injections, physiotherapy, and exercise, as well as by being vocal about her condition and seeking support.

What is the impact of arthritis on a person's independence and daily life?

Arthritis can significantly impact a person's independence and daily life by causing pain and limiting mobility, making it difficult to perform routine tasks such as dressing, cooking, and personal care. It can also lead to social isolation and emotional distress.

How does Neeve Costello's family support her in managing her arthritis?

Neeve's family supports her by accompanying her to medical appointments, administering treatments, and providing emotional support. They also work closely with her medical team to explore different treatment options to manage her condition.

What are some of the treatments and therapies mentioned in the script for managing arthritis?

The script mentions various treatments and therapies for managing arthritis, including steroid injections, biologic drugs, physiotherapy, exercise, and the use of assistive devices like crutches and wrist braces.

How does arthritis affect a person's education and career prospects?

Arthritis can affect a person's education and career prospects by causing frequent absences from school or work due to flare-ups and by limiting the types of activities or fields of study one can pursue. However, with proper management and support, individuals with arthritis can still achieve academic and career success.

What are the potential complications of arthritis medication on family planning?

Some arthritis medications, particularly biologics, can complicate family planning as they may need to be discontinued for a certain period before and after pregnancy, which can impact the disease management and the health of both the mother and the baby.

How does the script highlight the importance of health education and research in improving the lives of arthritis sufferers?

The script emphasizes the importance of health education and research by showcasing how new treatments and a better understanding of the disease can bring hope and improve the quality of life for arthritis sufferers and their families.

Outlines

00:00

🤕 Introduction to Arthritis and Its Impact on Irish Lives

Arthritis is a prevalent joint disease causing swelling and pain, with no known cure. It affects over 700,000 people in Ireland, including 1,000 children. The narrative focuses on the challenges faced by arthritis sufferers, including mobility issues and the emotional toll. It introduces the story of two young individuals, Neeve Costello and Laura Hickey, who are living successful lives despite their arthritis. Neeve, at 12 years old, manages her juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes chronic joint pain. Her family shares their experiences, including misdiagnoses and the struggle to find effective treatments. The video also touches on the broader implications of arthritis, such as its status as a leading cause of disability in Ireland.

05:01

🏥 Healthcare Journeys and Living with Juvenile Arthritis

This section delves into the healthcare experiences of Neeve and Laura, who both suffer from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Neeve's parents recount her diagnosis at a young age and the initial misdiagnoses as growing pains. The family's journey includes visits to a specialist center at Cromin Children's Hospital in Dublin, where Neeve receives treatment. Laura shares her own experiences, from her diagnosis at age 10 to managing her condition into adulthood. She discusses the physical challenges, such as morning stiffness and pain, and the emotional impact of living with a chronic illness. The video also highlights the importance of healthcare support and the search for effective treatments, including the use of biologic drugs that have shown promise in managing arthritis symptoms.

10:04

💉 The Struggle with Treatment and the Emotional Journey

The third paragraph explores the emotional and physical challenges faced by individuals with arthritis. It details the difficulties in finding effective treatments and the emotional toll of living with a chronic illness. Neeve's mother expresses her feelings of helplessness and the search for answers when her daughter's condition initially worsened. Laura discusses her experiences with various treatments, including the use of steroids and the impact on her education. The video also touches on the importance of cleanliness to prevent infections and the various tools and techniques used to manage flare-ups, such as baths and exercises. The emotional journey includes feelings of isolation and the struggle to maintain independence, as well as the support from family and healthcare professionals.

15:06

👨‍⚕️ Family Dynamics and the Role of Medical Professionals

This section focuses on the family dynamics and the role of medical professionals in managing arthritis. It highlights the importance of regular blood tests in monitoring the disease's progress and the use of various medical tools to alleviate symptoms during flare-ups. The video features Neeve's father discussing his work schedule and his desire to be more involved in her care, as well as the family's reliance on her mother as the primary caregiver. It also includes a visit to a doctor's office, where Neeve's mother explains the importance of understanding medical tests and the impact of arthritis on the family's daily life. The video emphasizes the collaborative effort between patients, families, and healthcare providers in managing the disease.

20:07

💊 Balancing Treatment and the Desire for Parenthood

The final paragraph addresses the challenges faced by arthritis patients in managing their treatment and the desire to have children. It discusses the potential complications that medications can have on pregnancy and the need for patients to stop treatment before conception. The video features Laura's personal reflections on her desire to have a child and the implications of her condition on this goal. It also includes insights from Neeve's family as they work closely with doctors to find the best treatment options. The narrative concludes with a focus on the hope for better treatments and the resilience of individuals living with arthritis, despite the challenges they face.

Keywords

💡Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that affects the joints, causing swelling, pain, and stiffness. In the video, arthritis is discussed as a condition affecting both adults and children, with juvenile arthritis being a key focus. It is described as a major cause of disability in Ireland, impacting the quality of life of those affected, such as Neeve and Laura, the young individuals in the story.

💡Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) is a type of arthritis that affects children and teenagers, causing chronic joint pain and swelling. In the video, both Neeve and Laura suffer from this condition, with its impact on their childhood and daily life being a central theme. JRA is presented as a severe autoimmune disease that significantly alters the lives of young sufferers.

💡Autoimmune Disease

An autoimmune disease occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. In the context of the video, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is described as an autoimmune condition where the immune system targets the joints, leading to painful inflammation and damage. This concept is crucial to understanding the chronic nature of arthritis and its treatment challenges.

💡Steroids

Steroids are a type of medication often used to reduce inflammation in diseases like arthritis. In the video, Neeve and Laura both rely on steroids at different stages of their treatment to manage their arthritis symptoms. While effective, the use of steroids is also portrayed as a temporary solution that may come with side effects.

💡Biologic Drugs

Biologic drugs are newer medications that specifically target certain proteins in the immune system to reduce inflammation. In the video, biologics are highlighted as a breakthrough treatment for people like Laura and Neeve. These drugs have helped control their arthritis symptoms when other treatments failed, offering hope for better long-term management.

💡Flare-up

A flare-up refers to a sudden increase in the severity of symptoms, such as pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Both Neeve and Laura experience flare-ups during the video, with these episodes greatly affecting their mobility and daily activities. Flare-ups are unpredictable and can disrupt the stability of the condition, making arthritis management more challenging.

💡Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy is a treatment method involving physical exercises to help maintain or improve mobility and reduce pain. In the video, physiotherapy is an essential part of managing arthritis for both Neeve and Laura, as it helps keep their joints flexible. Regular exercises, both in water and on land, are highlighted as a crucial part of their daily routines.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury or infection, which in the case of arthritis, leads to swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joints. In the video, inflammation is a core symptom that Neeve and Laura both experience due to their autoimmune conditions. Managing inflammation is a central goal of their treatments, including the use of biologics and steroids.

💡Disability

Disability refers to a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or activities. In Ireland, arthritis is described as the leading cause of disability, impacting the ability of people like Neeve and Laura to perform everyday tasks. The video shows how arthritis affects their mobility, independence, and life choices, illustrating the broader challenges faced by those living with chronic illness.

💡Remission

Remission refers to a period when the symptoms of a disease, such as arthritis, are reduced or disappear. In the video, Neeve experiences two years of remission after her initial treatment, only to have the disease return. Remission provides temporary relief but is often followed by flare-ups, reflecting the unpredictable nature of chronic diseases like arthritis.

Highlights

Arthritis is a disease affecting over 700,000 people in Ireland, including 1,000 children.

There is no cure for arthritis, which can cause severe joint pain and swelling.

Arthritis can lead to disability, affecting mobility at any age.

Juvenile arthritis affects children and teenagers, manifesting in various forms including rheumatoid arthritis.

New research and health education offer hope to arthritis sufferers and their families.

Neeve Costello, a 12-year-old, lives with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, an extreme form of the disease.

Chronic joint pain is a daily reality for children with juvenile arthritis.

Neeve's family initially faced misdiagnosis, with her symptoms being attributed to growing pains.

Health cutbacks have resulted in longer waiting times for hospital services, impacting arthritis treatment.

Laura Hickey, diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age 10, describes living with chronic pain.

Arthritis can cause severe morning stiffness and soreness, affecting daily activities.

Swimming is a beneficial activity for Neeve, as it doesn't hurt her knees.

Neeve's treatment journey included steroid injections, which initially provided relief.

Laura struggled with managing her arthritis during her teenage years and found school challenging.

Arthritis flare-ups can be debilitating, causing severe joint pain and inflammation.

Maintaining cleanliness is crucial for arthritis sufferers to avoid infections that can exacerbate symptoms.

Physiotherapy and exercise are essential for keeping arthritic joints flexible and reducing pain.

Arthritis can complicate a woman's plans for pregnancy due to medication side effects.

Biologic drugs have shown promise in treating arthritis by blocking proteins that cause swelling and pain.

For Laura, a weekly injection and periodic joint injections have significantly improved her condition.

Transcripts

arthritis is a disease of the joints it

causes swelling and pain arthritis has

many causes and to date no cure over

700,000 people are living with different

kinds of arthritis in Ireland 1,000 of

those are

children it was very sore and I just

knew I had to get on with it I knew the

pain would go away some

stage if I let it win I hard this will

win but it can be beat like

you can live a fallen Act of

Life arthritis is the biggest cause of

disability in Ireland joint pain and

swelling causes Mobility problems at any

age

in older people osteoarthritis is the

wear and tear of joints juvenile

arthritis affects children and teenagers

and can appear in different forms

including rheumatoid

arthritis however new research and

health education increasingly brings

fresh hope to arthritis sufferers and

families this is the story of two young

people who are making a success of life

with arthritis

the Costo family live in bansa tieri NE

Costo is

12 I'm leave this is my mom Wendy my

sister qua and my dad Dean is at

work okay so this is me and my granny

when I was small and I love my granny

she's really close to me and this

cushion I got that from my best friend

Ruth she's really good to me this is my

guitar and I've been playing it for 2

years and when I started off I didn't

like it and I wanted to quit it but now

I I like it these are all my posters on

my door I have a lot of girls

allowed I have a dog called Holly and I

love playing with her outside and walk

in her Neeve Costello has juvenile

rheumatoid arthritis it's an unusual and

severe form of arthritis and children

chronic joint pain is a part of neeve's

life I do feel as a carer for NE now I'm

a full-time carer that this is a serious

serious autoimmune disease this is

extreme pain for kids NE often says it's

like someone has stuck a knit and needle

into a joint and tweet it around a

little

bit NE is the oldest of Wendy and Dean

Costello's two children we have a great

relationship we can talk about anything

to one another and she's a very honest

and open child oh

I'ma Black Sheep

how childhood arthritis can be difficult

to diagnose symptoms include a sense of

heat in the joints swelling and

stiffness she actually dragged her left

leg slightly behind as she crawled and

relied on her right leg to do all the

work and even then when she walked her

left leg was always skipping uh even my

dad commented one day are her shoes too

tight on her she's kind of walking funny

in her left leg and then even a couple

times we've been to the doctor we said

that left leg is kind of funny you know

we didn't quite know how to explain it

but as I say hindsight's a great thing

uh but he said she was growing it was

growing pains and uh you know there's

nothing to worry about so we didn't we

didn't worry at all till three and a

half and then it was one morning she

woke up with a an enormous knee not just

like a knee that she'd fallen and there

was bruising no it was just like her

knee had completely puffed out and then

the next morning she came in and her

hands and knees into our bedroom and

said Mommy I can't

walk recent Health cutbacks can mean

longer waiting times for some Hospital

Services Neeve attended a specialist

center for juvenile arthritis at cromin

Children's Hospital in

Dublin when we got to cromin we

certainly didn't realize what was ahead

of us

oh 25-year-old Laura hickey lives in

Dublin she shares an apartment with her

boyfriend Mark seriously I'm Laura's

boyfriend of 6 years so we've been

living together for about five sort of

jumped in real quick and uh she's she's

try like she's really brave but she's um

when she's when she gets sore and things

she tries not to let it affect her so

she tries to you know just tries to live

a normal life with it and sometimes it's

a bit hard like particularly if she's

having a flare up in the mornings and

things and maybe it's hard for her to

get going and she kind of has to get

used to so I've gotten used to

it Laura was diagnosed with juvenile

rheumatoid arthritis when she was 10

years old people say you know when

they're diagnosed they're devastated I

wasn't I was so relieved like I was

beyond relieved cuz when I was a kid I

had my whole life like in

pain I suppose arthritis manifested

itself as something else my mom and dad

at night time and in the morning they

rubing you know anti-inflammatory crment

to my joints and stuff and like the

doctors really were like there's kind of

pretty much nothing wrong so I thought

like I was literally going mad but then

I was 10 I woke up and I couldn't move

so my mom thought me straight down to

the GP and it was that GP that pretty

much spotted it straight away and he's

like I think she's juvenile

arthritis Laura hickey's arthritis is an

autoimmune

condition when the condition is active

her body attacks itself at the joints

creating

inflammation the result is painful

swelling in her ankles knees wrists

hands and

feet the exact cause of juvenile

arthritis is

unknown the word arthritis to me means

pain it means that I'm quite sore in the

morning and I get quite stiff throughout

the

day I always thought it was a crap cook

and then I started cooking so I suppose

it's sense of achievement

really so I'm just putting the chocolate

in here cuz I break it up my hands my

hands are quite sore so I'm going to

literally bash the hell out of

it the can's like

um like this guy here my choice of when

I'm buying tins stuff would be get these

cuz the tin openers is a lot more

difficult but sometimes these break

which um can be frustrating when you

can't do something you're stuck at home

and you're trying to bake something or

you're trying to cook your dinner and

nothing kind of seems to be

working so pressing something as simple

as like the button

here need my two

fingers to release it which is I suppose

something everyone else find myself

simple B even lifting

this my lowest point having this will be

when I can't do anything for myself when

I'm literally I get out of the bed and

I'm like a 90-year old woman I actually

think my granny is almost 90 and she

could well out run me at times and

you're literally on crutches and even

then the caches you can barely use them

because you're putting so much pressure

on your body and just literally not

being able to get dressed like do your

hair cook for

yourself it's so awful because you kind

of lose your Independence and you're

young woman and you don't have the

same like life as everyone else and you

kind of wonder

why NE Costello enjoys swimming lessons

at her local

pool I love swimming because it helps my

knees as well and I just love being in

the water and

swimming I can do anything I want in the

water cuz it doesn't hurt me at all

hello n

hello Daddy how are you today I am

well after her early arthritis diagnosis

Neeve continued to feel pain when she

was a

toddler so then we went back to cromin

and we had to have another course of

steroids still things didn't

improve I didn't really know what it was

I just knew I had pains in my knees and

they were very sore it was only my left

knee at that stage but still my knee was

very very sore

So eventually when she was five they

injected her joint then and to be honest

she was like a new woman when she got

that injection and I thought that's it

that's the end of that

now ne's new treatment worked well at

first she was painfree for a number of

years but in 2007 her rest bite ended

suddenly NE said M my KN feels funny and

I said roll up your trousers NE and she

rolled up her trousers and it was

massive so I arranged to go to

Crumblin I thought oh God how could I

stay dorming for 2 years and then all of

a sudden decided to come back she wasn't

under any stress or nothing had changed

in her life that you know might have

brought it on but Dr Ken said yeah

juvenile as gracious

I think the lowest point for me was when

after the 2 years remission it came back

if it come back maybe 6 months after the

initial then maybe I would have dealt

with it better but because we had 2

years I'm not a twinge and Eve getting

back to full health I really felt so

sorry for myself and Eve I just felt

like something cruel had happened to us

and how unlucky we were and why did it

happen to us

M was always crying and I usually tell

her like stop crying like it's going to

go away but it never did

really I was Bish drama queen I was

crying a lot and say why is it me that

get everything and my mom used to try

and calm me down but now I I understand

now that I'm older and I know what it

it's all like but back then I was young

and I didn't know what it was and I just

kept crying and crying and why is it me

why is everything happened to

me at the beginning I blame myself was

there something I did when she was young

was there something down to my parenting

that brought this on well obviously now

I know that is complete load of rubbish

but at that stage you're you are

searching for answers and even little

hints why did they start but as the

years go on you realize no matter what

you'd have done the disease is going to

move as slow or as fast as it sees fit

in Dublin Laura hickey found managing

teenage arthritis

difficult I tried so many tablets and

various treatments and herbal and

medications and stuff and I went from

one basically medication to another as a

kid and nothing worked and I got very

little relief and I was taking steroids

quite a

lot I was Miss a lot of time in

secondary school H just in my fifth and

sixth year but I was still studying at

home and I was complete business head as

all I ever wanted to do and I want to do

finance and stuff my teacher told my mom

that perhaps I should pursue something a

little less challenging so I went and

did it anyway I got my leave insert and

um I went to

college an arthritis flare up is when

symptoms worsen quickly and for no

apparent reason a flare up includes

inflammation and severe crippling joint

pain I actually had a flare a couple of

weeks into my first year in college and

I was really really poorly and I

couldn't move and I had to go find

myself in ugp and go to the doctor and

then get to Dublin to see my consultant

and it was so stressful like to try and

manage everything myself and I suppose

I'm a way stronger person for haven't

had do all those things but I remember

like thinking oh my God how am I going

to do this and

manage this easy and for

just going to give this a push cuz I

don't want to bend down cleanliness is

really important when Low's arthritis is

active attacks can lower her body's

defenses I'm forever washing my hands

cuz when you have an autoimmune disease

you're quite prone to infection

and you got pick up all these little

coals

and kind of flowes and stomach bugs and

stuff so I'm so I suppose paranoids that

I guess and plus they really take it out

of me like I don't don't

um it takes me a while to recover and

then I kind of get a flare from my

joints and stuff

so usually all of a sudden it just pops

up any time any place it it like

mostly I wake up during the night and

like it would wake me during the night

and I couldn't get back to sleep and I'd

have bad nights sleep

I'd wake up in the morning and I'd be

very stiff and i' just run a bath and

have a bath and do some exercises in the

bath to loose my joints out and then I

get up and get dressed and do some more

exercises then when I come home from

school Physiotherapy and exercise keep

arthritic joints

flexible I have a special band that I

push around just to by pull my toes up

and I pulled the band with

them no this this is my file on

arthritis I really need to sort it out

don't I if there's anything in it and in

magazines or anything I Lally just cut

it out because I never know when I'll

need

it actually this is a a particular

brocher that uh quea loves which is

niece younger sister she NE was given

this by the arthritis Association when

she was first diagnosed and and it just

explains particularly for 4 to 8y olds

in real simple terms what happens on

doctor's

visits it shows exactly in lay in terms

what they' be going through and as you

can see qua loves

this qua when I'm having a bad flare up

she' draw a picture for me and and make

me like happy and all and she' um I draw

her cards she dos me cards and

and I play games with

her ne's dad Dean Works long hours as a

sales rep you do miss being at home

there there's certain things that I mean

I'm gone in the morning and so I've I've

never taken leave to a blood T it might

be it might be 11:00 and it might only

be for 10 or 15 minutes but because I

don't work local I can't take that 15

minutes to be there and and and do that

but I generally I take the days we go to

crumlin I take those days off and if she

has to have an injection or whatever I

TR to be there for those as

well um I know she's in good hands when

she's with Wendy anyway and then

sometimes I feel I won't say I feel out

of it I mean but often wondered this you

know I should know a bit more

and regular blood tests monitor the

progress of arthritis charting blood

count can alert to

flareups there are various different

Bloods that uh have to be watched when

you've arthritis like your blood count

in general your ESR which determines the

amount of information going on in your

body so obviously if your ESR is high

which as you can see it was here 20 it

means that the uh arthritis is active

and is bound to pop out in one or two

joints and VAR stages like this number

four it's practically non-existent so

the ESR is the main blood test that

you'll be sent for first to see how

active it is and to determine that it is

arthritis so these are things I have to

use sometimes when um I'm having a flare

up

my cach obviously for obvious reasons um

but I don't have to use that often

anymore thank God and this is what is

known as a wrist

blint and see the bar there keeps your

wrist in a straight position so you

can't move it so it rests your wrist and

when it's inflamed and then this is like

an electric blanket it is fabulous

basically what we're trying to do myself

and my physia who a go to weekly she's

trying to build up the small muscle in

my neck so it takes off the pressure and

what I do was I just literally stick

this behind my neck and lie down and it

the gauge here has see the pressure so

I've to try and keep it at 22 and 24 for

10

seconds Laura hickey was adamant

arthritis would not Define her at

University studying Finance she kept her

illness

hidden so how are you these days good

how are

you I thought I wasn't sick enough for

some reason to join the college

disability that was known as the access

officer Michael

College was someone advisement that I

really should let them know just that I

had something wrong with me so I went

there anyway and I registered her and

she was just so good to me she just told

me like all the services were that were

there I think oh my God it's going to be

such a stigma around me I found that by

telling people that I had arthritis that

they were so understanding so I kind of

true myself and surround myself with

like really nice people and I suppose

that's really how I kind of survived

College

myself and Mark met on the first week of

college and we both graduated at the

same time so it was like it was really

really

nice student life is challenging at the

best of times pain management and side

effects from medication increased those

challenges during a flare up a few years

ago Laura reached a turning

point it was about 2:00 in the morning

and I couldn't move and I pain

everywhere I on my old um tablets I used

to get really bad M ERS and I was just

so sick I just I just thought the night

would have never ever end like Laura

became more vocal about her condition

when I did a course with arthritis

Ireland I realized that there's so much

you could do and that you could just

actually say to your consultant you know

I feel rubbish and this is how it's

impacted my life arthritis sufferers

have several pain relief options not all

successful they come in tablet cream and

injection form under under medical

supervision steroids anti-inflammatory

and newer biologic drugs have proved

beneficial biologics block blood

proteins that lead to swelling and pain

recently Laura hickey found treatment

that works for

her just have my injection here it has

to be a refrigerator at all times which

is a hassle in

itself these injections have literally

transformed my life I just take an

injection once a week and I get my

joints injected just every couple of

months and that is working wonders for

me arthritis medication and Pain

Management can also complicate or hinder

a woman's plans to have

children I suppose I'm 25 now

and my friends laugh me when I think

about having a baby and stuff but when

that choice is taken away from you it's

not it becomes a big deal what we do we

just take these off if I want to become

pregnant I have to come off my

medication for 6 months your body goes

into Mission and then once you have the

baby you get a really bad flare up again

and you go straight back on your

medication then there's the whole impact

of trying to cope with minding the baby

like that's the task in itself for any

woman but when you have arus and you're

having a flare up like it's so

difficult I know because the choice was

taken away me just to the ability to

have a baby straight away that I really

want a child and if I couldn't I'd be so

devastated but I also know that there's

so much more I have to think

about in temporary the costalos work

closely with doctors trying different

medications with daughter Neeve although

they haven't found a perfect solution

biologic injections have helped would

you find the ice helps don't you that

the ice nums the area that was a tip the

nurse gave us when she came out to start

you on the EM now I just need to draw

this out this is the tricky part we're

getting used

to there's a difference when you give

the injection and you see then

afterwards