Day 2 of the JA Conference

I knew that this would be an amazing, rewarding experience, but I had no idea how amazing. With still one more full day & a short day left, I've already learned so much. We learned this morning how 80% of meds used for children with Juvenile Arthritis have no long-term data regarding side effects. We learned of the efforts that a group called C.A.R.R.A. has made towards a national registry, & determining which meds work best for different diseases. Despite having researched medications so much I sat in on a medication session. i learned, for one, that Methotrexate does not generally drop one's white cell counts like Em's drop. I learned more of the HOW of these meds, which we also discussed in the Genetics session. That was fascinating! We discussed siblings risk factors & the research regarding which markers exactly cause JA and why. 1 to 4 kids per 1000 are affected by JA, more than are affected by diabetes, or cystic fibrosis. and now I must crash. good night!