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Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She was 9½ when she was diagnosed with arthritis but it wasn't until a couple of years later that symptoms started to deteriorate.

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 >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Within days after getting food poisoning all his joints had swollen up. Doctors diagnosed him with arthritis and for a while he had to use a wheelchai

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 >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> He has been in remission for the last two years and his biggest fear is to relapse for a second time. Deals with it by keeping positive and focusing o

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> Says that his arthritis has remained the same since he was first diagnosed at the age of 2½. He continues to be on steroids.

David has had twenty-seven operations in twenty-three years - the main ones including knee and hip replacement, leg straightening and spinal fusion. This meant that he has missed a great deal of schooling but he has always been determined to continue with his education. He finished his GCSE's, did his A' levels and has recently finished his university degree.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Has had information from the hospital, the Arthritis Research campaign and the internet. Thinks the resources that exist need to be better publicised.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> Enjoyed meeting people but felt sad for children who could not join in with active play at a juvenile arthritis event. Has contributed to a hospital c

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Had dreadful pain from his arthritis that would leave him feeling exhausted at school and frustrated not to be able to do things.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> He has physical problems created by the arthritis and the many operations he has had to have on his spine and legs.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She refused to continue on a drug that made her feel sick all the time. Doctors eventually gave her another medication that she could accept.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> He had taken various drugs for his arthritis without much success, until a consultant suggested he tried a new drug called Enbrel.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> Had night time leg splints for her arthritis but found it hard to wear day time splints on her wrist. Wished she had kept doing her daily shoulder exe

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> He does not like relying on others to help with daily activities but knows when he needs help. Learning to drive has improved his life.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> He remembers feeling different to his peers in primary and secondary schools because of his arthritis. He also felt frustrated by the pain and having

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> He was diagnosed with arthritis at 2 years of age. Suspects that it must be worse to be 'normal' and then diagnosed in your teens.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She felt depressed for much of secondary school but has now learnt to focus on a series of goals and feels much more positive.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> Argues that people who smoke and drink do not deserve their free treatment. Says that people who have given up smoking and drinking feel much better a

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> Says that young people on medication ought to be very careful when drinking alcohol. He is not affected by it but only drinks in moderation.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Says that since the age of ten he has been restricted regarding contact sports and that this situation is normal for him. He used to do a lot of swimm

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She talks about the positive effects of taking part in a Tai Chi class for people with arthritis.

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> She decided to eat everything but in moderation. She takes cod liver oil and vitamin D but prefers to get all other nutrients she needs from her diet.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Says that he eats what he wants because he has always enjoyed his food particularly when his arthritis was bad.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> He has seen doctors and nurses for so many years now that he understands a lot of the medical terminology and if he doesn't he asks them to translate

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> Contrasts being at adult and adolescent clinics. Developed a good relationship with his team. Seeing other young people with arthritis helped him feel

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> In the adult clinic you are in control and it is a quicker and more relaxed service than in the children's clinic but he misses meeting other young pe

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> His gradual transfer built up his confidence. Suggests what needs to be done to make sure that young people have a successful transition from the chil

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> When his arthritis was active he never knew in advance if he could go out or would have to cancel. Now in remission he does not need to plan ahead.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> Talks about what he needed to do to get a specially fitted car and what it means to him to have passed his driving test.

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> After his diagnosis he went back to school in a wheelchair. The school and classmates were supportive but he thought he was now known as 'the one with

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> Because she had so many physical problems she was off school for a year and a half. She has memories of her school life before she was diagnosed with

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> Early on he decided that as a young disabled person he would need all the qualifications he could get to have a better chance of getting a job.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> Explains the assessment process for Disabled Student Allowance and the help he got that enabled him to study.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> As a teenager he lacked self confidence but university and the experience of being seriously ill changed him into a more outgoing person. His social l

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> He has just left university and knows there are schemes aimed to help people in his position (he has arthritis) manage at work. Now all he needs is a

Long term health conditions >> Men 16-18 >> Joseph - Interview 17 >> His parents, sister and grandparents have all helped him cope with arthritis.

Long term health conditions >> Men 19-23 >> David - Interview 08 >> His family has given him emotional and practical help since he was two years old. Now he enjoys his independence and asks his parents for advice but h

Long term health conditions >> Women 19-23 >> Sara - Interview 27 >> Her sex life with her boyfriend was difficult for some weeks after a hip operation. Otherwise does not think her arthritis has caused problems for her

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

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.

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!”
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