On December 8, 2011 I got the news that changed my life. My eldest child, Sadie, was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis. When the doctor uttered the words, I felt like I had been hit with a baseball bat. I couldn't catch my breath, and the tears that were in my eyes threatened to spill down my cheeks. Somehow, the doctor looked surprised that Scott and I didn't know. She asked when we first suspected the diagnosis, and our dumbfounded faces probably said it all. We had no idea until our family doctor had checked out Sadie's knees just one week prior. I still am in shock, and it's been four days now. I struggle not to constantly google her disease to see what else I can possibly learn.
As much as we need the support, we still have kept the news very close to our hearts. We have told only our immediate family, even though our best friends were all here last night for dinner. Somehow, I just didn't want to ruin our annual Christmas dinner. I'm glad we kept our mouths shut; it was almost relaxing to not be thinking/obsessing about arthritis and the effects it will have on our family's life.
