Not two...

My daughter Ellie on the monkey bars with
Addison, Ainsley & their older brother Connor.

One of my besties became my bestie because her daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis within a month of Charlotte.  Charlotte became besties with her daughter Addison & their bond would be forever.  Addison's family would become family because that's what happens with the community of arthritis parents.  I care for Addison like she's Charlotte's sister & I know what her mom is feeling through the ups & downs of bad lab work numbers, swelling in the knee, painful absences from school, like no one else would.

But what I can't relate to is todays news that my bestie, Laura & her husband Jim received today about their third child, Ainsley who is now diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis.  I sigh on the phone when she rings with the news.  I can't imagine having two with the disease and having a different type of the disease to boot.  Especially when Addison isn't in remission & continues to battle her arthritis (getting on Enbrel soon to her mix of Methotrexate).

I know that Laura & Jim are different parents with Ainsley's diagnosis than they were with Addison's.  They can face this news with more courage & knowledge & aggressiveness than they did years prior being in a daze with Addison's diagnosis as a toddler when every piece of language is new & you have to look EVERYTHING up.  The scariness factor is gone, but I am sure its quickly replaced with anger & bitterness of "really!? why?!"

 

Laura & Jim... BLECH.  I love you & I love Ainsley so much & hate this for her.  But her journey will be different as this disease is with every child.  And I know you will tackle her diagnosis with strength, determination, mindfulness & she will not suffer because of it.  Lots of love & support from here to there.