Omega 3's and Inflamation

It seems every time you turn on the news there is a study that shoes that fish oil can solve your health problems :)

However, there has been some pretty good stories lately about Omega 3's reducing inflammation. For this reason we started our daughter on them, they make some gummies that she really doesn't mind(They don't smell the greatest though).

A link is below to information:
http://www.arthritistoday.org/nutrition-and-weight-loss/healthy-eating/food-and-inflammation/fatty-acids-benefits.php

I'm not sold that it helps her inflammation but I haven't read much that says not to use them so we have her on them for the other benefits with a plus that it may help with inflammation.

Couple things I learned - Head lice and bruising

Disclaimer: Our daughter hasn't had head lice but is just starting into school so the chances are increasing.

Certain head lice shampoos and products shouldn't be used by those with JRA. Basically those with pesticides in them shouldn't be used by children with Autoimmune diseases. A link to a sad story is here: http://www.headlice.org/jesseproject/index.htm

Bruising
Naproxen can cause children to bruise more easily. Our Rhuem isn't as concerned about the bruises on the front of the shins, but bruising on the arms or other locations should be looked at. We have noticed our daughter bruising more easily but it hasn't been too bad.

Omega 3's can also cause easier bruising.

Pizza Hut Fundraiser - Sauk City

Pizza Hut in Sauk City is gracious enough to host a fundraiser for us!

Where: Pizza Hut - Sauk City
When: April 28th from 5-8pm
What: Pasta Buffet for only $6
1/2 of the the fee goes directly to the Arthritis Foundation!

Thanks for the support!

Dr. Huttenlocher Appointment

We had our regular appointment with Dr. Huttenlocher at the children's hospital today. Good news, she is looking much better! The swelling in her ankle is gone and her knee is better. We get to reduce her naproxen to once a day, so she will like that.

Mary Kay stopped by with her basket of goodies and she got to pick out a couple, she loves that :)

She had her blood drawn as usual, results pending :)

The "A" Team is still raising money for the walk, current tally is $2342 with more pledges to be received.

Shirts have been ordered and should be in soon.

Looking forward to the walk on May 8th. See you all there :)

Spring Update

She is a new girl on Methotrexate! It's not just me that thinks so, others have said that they don't recognize her either. She has so much energy, runs and plays like never before. Preschool has also made her so much more outgoing, just what we wanted.

Most days we take a 20 minute (one way) bike ride to the park after I pick her up from daycare. Last year she could ride her bike about half that distance, now she goes to the park with ease :)

The "A" Team fundraising has been a HUGE sucess so far, we have raised $2020 so far with pledges of over $100 yet to come in. We also have mobiles out at local businesses that are brining in money. REMINDER: The walk is on May 8th at 10am.

Thank you so much to all of our Family, Friends and Neighbors for supporting her. It means the world to us!!

FestiveAle

FestiveAle 2010 was a huge sucess! Many volunteers showed up and made the event VERY fun! It was my first time volunteering for the Arthritis foundation but it won't be my last. They were very welcoming and made the day enjoyable.

There were many local and regional breweries attending and serving their favorite brews. All seemed to be having a great time.

The next big event for the Madison chapter is the Arthritis Walk. The "A" team has raised over $1,000 so far with a goal of $2,000.

She has been doing well, she seems to be improving more with less comments about her legs hurting. She has been becoming more physically fit since she can tear about more without her legs hurting.

We went on a bike ride/walk last night and her knees hurt after a bit but I think that was more due to not being on a bike for 6 months than the Arthritis. She had a lot of fun and biked as far as we did last year at a good pace.

Thanks for the support!

Dr Struck - Pediatric Opthamologist Appointment

Went to see Dr Struck yesterday.

All was well with her eyes again. We can start seeing him every 4 months now instead of 3 :) Yea! :)

She has been doing well on Methotrexate, only one time did she cry when she got the shot, must have been a bad spot.

We haven't noticed a lot of improvement in her knee yet, but it can take 12 full weeks for the full affect of Methotrexate to kick in.

Last and most importantly, thank you to all the supporters of The "A" Team. The support has been amazing and cherrished. She gets excited every time I tell her there is a new donation :)