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JRA vs JIA - It's About Time!

I spent my whole life as a person living with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). Only recently, I have found out that I am now a person living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthriti Arthritis (JIA). When I researched why the change, I thought "it's about time! "

  1. Teresa, you've been through many battles as a child no one should have to face. They decided to change the name from JRA to JIA as the symptoms, diagnoses, and potential causes are somewhat different. But the disease outcomes and treatments remain similar to RA. Some JIA patients go into remission in adulthood and for others the disease remains active into adulthood. I hope you have an effective treatment plan and things go well for you. Hang in there and fight the battle!

    1. I'm in much the same boat- I have JIA not JRA though oddly it seems most medical professionals have now heard of JRA and seem convinced I have somehow 'misspoken' and try to correct me with 'you mean JRA'. I have to review all medical notes anytime I go to a new doctor or ER because someone always seems to get the details wrong in trying to decide what I must have meant then accepting what I SAID.

      1. Shalom, sorry you've suffered so much. Do doctors and researchers classify JIA and JRA differently? I was under the impression that the term JRA has been replace with JIA.

        1. Looking for Carol Mann from Vacaville Ca in the mid 1980's. She was my across the street neighbor and I'm pretty sure she had jra. She moved away and I guess I never paid attention to where she was going at my young age. At 30 I was diagnosed with RA and she was the first person that entered by mind......and has been there every since, I'm now 46. I've tried looking her up on social media, but she could have gotten married so I don't know.I just know as awful as my trek began at 30, hers was WAY worse and I would love to know if she's still out there.

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