Case Summary  |  Quadriplegic due to Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

I was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was two years old (1984). I was in Russia at the time. Prior to diagnosis I had constant pain and high fever. The doctors got me on steroids. They helped with the fever, but I started developing liver and kidneys complications. We saw leading specialists in Moscow, but they all said that my condition was very rare. Fearing for my life, my mother took me off the steroids. I was in critical condition for a while and my joints became permanently stiff. However, the fever subsided and I haven't really had any pain since then. Apart from being wheelchair-bound, I don't have any life-threatening conditions. I do have osteoporosis, which is why I'm on Boniva. I also engage in exercise, as approved by a rheumatologist.