Ready for a Plan

First things first, we had a great trip to Florida. It was nice to have extra helping hands and luckily Ryker did REALLY great on both airplane flights.
*Side note - the best advice I ever received about taking a toddler on an airplane: invest in a few new toys/activities they have never seen or played with before. We've used this method multiple times and it always circumvents a meltdown!*

Anyway, the bottom line is, we are ready for a plan of action. We are accepting that Juvenile Arthritis is most likely his diagnosis and we want to start down the path of treatment. We are scheduled to see the rheumatologist in 6 days and my anxiety is increasing by the hour. The only positive thing I can really focus on right now is that the weather is getting warmer and that is helping Ryker's joints.

I'm pretty certain that the arthritis is affecting his jaw. He doesn't want to eat very much (which is extremely unusual) and when he does eat he only wants soft foods like applesauce, bananas, sweet potatoes, pasta, etc. I am definitely going to ask her about this when we go next Wednesday; he has lost 2-3 pounds since all of this started last month. Some other questions I will be asking are...

- what does it mean that his onset is so early in life?
- how long can he stay on meloxicam?
- how much should we limit his activity when he doesn't understand how to limit himself?
- are swim lessons an appropriate activity?
- any special vitamins he could be taking that might help?
- does he need physical therapy?
- genetic component? what is the likelihood the baby I'm pregnant with could get JA?
- should I expect him to have random fevers and/or rashes? swollen lymph nodes?
- when do I call the rheumatologist versus the pediatrician?
- should I make him go up and down the stairs?
- how often should he go to the ophthalmologist? what is the likelihood he will develop uveitis?

I hope we get a lot of answers and a game plan when we go next week. I am so thankful we have a great hospital like Scottish Rite in our own backyard.