Subject index

Advice to other young people living with a chronic condition

Clip
Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She advises other young people with arthritis to keep doing their exercises and to give up drinking alcohol and smoking. Keep positive even when it is

Sara was diagnosed in 1990 with Juvenile chronic arthritis. She has had a finger tendon repair & a hip replacement. Current medication Anti-TNF Humira injected 2/month, indometacin, co-codamol & Lansoprazole. Says that with her current medication she has more energy to do things like exercise. She attended a Tai Chi course for people with arthritis and really enjoyed it.

Long term health conditions >> Women 16-18 >> Mica - Interview 16 >> Tells other young people with sickle cell that having sickle cell doesn't make them abnormal and that, they should 'go out there' and pursue their goa

Mica has lived with sickle cell anemia since birth. Her Mum and her brother also have the condition. Her mother has played an important role in helping Mica and her brother to develop a positive attittude towards having sickle cell anaemia. Mica says that she now feels in control of her condition.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Hassan - Interview 30 >> He tells other young people with muscular dystrophy not to be scared. God gave him a brain and a heart and an ability to make others happy.

Hassan has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Hassan was born in Pakistan but the family has relocated to the UK because he needs specialised medical care. With the help of his home tutor Hassan is writing a story about his experience of living with DMD. Hassan's message to other people living with a chronic condition is never to give up.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Kate - Interview 19 >> She thinks that young people with cystic fibrosis should make the most of the facilities and expertise available to help them keep on top of their con

Kate was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) when she was 4 years old by a new consultant who spotted the symptoms straight away. Previously, she had been misdiagnosed with other conditions such as asthma and a milk allergy. Kate has very few CF related symptoms and although she has had the odd chest infection, she has never required intravenous antibiotics.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> His advice is to keep positive. Don't let it defeat you. If you let your illness get you down you are going to feel worse.

Joseph was diagnosed with Enthesitis Related Arthritis at the age of seven. After initial remission his condition flared up again and it became more difficult to control. He was started on a new drug, Enbrel and has been on remission for the last two years.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Miriam - Interview 07 >> Her advice to young people with ME/CFS is to accept their symptoms and take plenty of rest. Be patient.

Almost ten years ago Miriam was diagnosed with glandular fever and given three courses of antibiotics. Her symptoms didn't improve and she couldn't continue with her university course. It was a homeopathic doctor who suggested she might have developed ME or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). It has taken her nine years to feel better again. She says that pacing and the acknowledgement of limitations are important tools for mending.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> David - Interview 20 >> Keep calm if your asthma starts to worry you and tell your friends what to do if you have a bad asthma attack. Join the activities organised by Kick A

David was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 5 and his mother thinks that it was triggered off by a really bad cold. His asthma is mild and he is not on regular medication but he uses his inhaler before doing sports. He sees a specialist nurse once a year for check ups.

Long term health conditions >> Women 16-18 >> Donna - Interview 25 >> If you are feeling down and depressed then talk to someone and/or write little notes about your feeling so friends and family knows what it is going o

Donna was diagnosed age 13 with a kidney condition called Mesangiocapillary Glomerulonephritis type II. After diagnosis she was on medication and remained stable for three years. But her condition deteriorated and she needed a kidney transplant. Her mother was her donor. Her sudden deterioration affected her physically and also emotionally. She became depressed and felt rejected and isolated from her then 'group of friends'.

Long term health conditions >> Women 16-18 >> Charlotte - Interview 10 >> She knows that parents do care but they need to be less protective and let the teenagers grow up.

Charlotte was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 13. She sees her consultant every three months and feels well supported by her. Her main problems are the frequency, till recently, with which seizures have occurred and the fact that her memory has been affected by the frequent incidence of her 'absence' seizures. Until three months ago Charlotte was having seizures twice a month and sometimes, even as frequently as once a week.

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Various long-term health conditions can occur in young people. We interviewed 30 young people about their experiences of different chronic illnesses. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics on the right hand side of this page, or explore all the interviews by clicking on people's stories below.

Sophie says: “I've had a good weekend despite my lungs not feeling too good. My boyfriend's training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro so we have been hiking!”
Join the Long term health conditions discussion on MyYouthhealthtalk

full list of topics

Diagnosis & learning more :

Physical problems, med's & managing your condition :

Life style :

What makes a good doctor and transition issues :

Living with it :

Talking about relationships :

Advice to others :