Do you have Arthritis? 46 million Americans have one or more forms of the 100 different forms of Arthritis. I know. I am just one. I was born with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis 35 years ago. I have suffered tremendously at the hands of this progressive, incurable disease. It is now time for me to put up my dukes and fight. Not just for me, for all the patients who are too disabled to fight for themselves. I have endured 35 years of discrimination from many sources: students, teachers, family, friends but most of all strangers staring. No one quite knows how to react when they hear my story. That's why I'm gonna keep on tellin' it. I want people to stop looking at me like I'm joking or I'm flat out lying, when I say "I was born with Arthritis". This is not an old person's disease. 300,000 children in the US has one form or another of Juvenile Arhtritis. We need not be ashamed. It is not our fault. No one is to blame. There, no more blaming.
How do we fix this problem? First things first, pass the Arthritis, Prevention, Control and Cure Act of 2009 (S984). This is a must! Please follow this link and READ THE BILL! http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.984: Then, call your Senators to co-sponsor this bill. We almost had it passed last year but the economy fell apart. If you need any information on arthrits the best place to start is www.arthritis.org This is the website to the Arthritis Foundation. They are there to help us. They have given me a new lease on life and I will always be grateful to them for showing me I can make a difference. If I can do it, you can do it to! Peace and Blessings, Vicki
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