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Daniel's arthritis and disappearing plot lines

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Snib (U2730908) on Tuesday, 26th February 2008

  Please could the SW team pass the cure for JIA onto the NHS? As Daniel appears to be completely free from arthritis now, and also off the medication, (or at least we never hear about it) I presume a miracle cure was discovered.
  
  Does he have no issues with bony overgrowth from when the arthritis was active? If only this were the same for real children with JIA.
  
  Alternatively, is he going to have a flare with the onset of puberty, like people in the real world do?
  
  Though I'm moaning about the juvenile arthritis storyline this happens with other storylines about childhood illness too. Jack's dementia and Ruth's cancer have been well handled, and you all deserve applause for that. But what about Christoper's harelip? He's now an attractive yound chap - does he have no scarring that he's sensitive about? If would appear that any child born in Ambridge grows up to seeming full health with no residual after effects. Even Lizzie's heart problems only reemerged once she was pregnant, she'd never worried about it during adulthood before the twins.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Marilyn Todd TPS (U6760867) on Tuesday, 26th February 2008

  
  I suppose it would be very difficult to produce a programme that had to constantly address these issues. Surely at any one time it has to have maybe two main storylines plus some side issues. It is esentially an entertainment that does, from time to time, deal with serious issues. But there has to be a balance.
  
  You seem to have some personal experience of juvenile arthritis, for which I am very sorry. I think perhaps the answer lies in the point that you raised, namely that he will have a flare up when he is a teenager.
  
  Of course this is not something for me to answer and I may be talking rubbish.
  
  

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by very_vague (U9649391) on Wednesday, 27th February 2008

  Hi Snib,
  
  I just wanted to add that as a juvenille arthritis sufferer I don't find the Daniel storyline particularly unrealistic myself. During my childhood I went through several phases of being in pain, requiring physio/ a splint/ medication etc alternated with long periods when I was very well. I am lucky enough to have had a mild form of the condition that (as of yet) has left me with no lasting disabilty, although I do have a related adult condition with its own set of consequences. I think that children often have very different experiences of this condition and I'm very sorry if you or someone you know has had difficulties.
  
  I do agree though it would be interesting to see more of Daniel's condition in future - the period I found hardest in dealing with my condition was in my early 20s when I was in the early phases of another inflamatory arthritis condition related to JRA (the term I'm familiar with) - it was very confronting being in a lot of pain when you're "meant" to be going out with your friends and living the high life and it can be terribly isolating to have "an old person's disease" and to have to take medication and spend time resting instead of being normal and going to the pub etc. I was very embarassed and also uncertain about what the future would hold. Surely lots of dramatic potential in a storyline then - Dan at 18 feeling left out and lonely, too embarassed to ask a girl out because he doesn't want to burden her with staying home when he's in pain, not taking his medication in front of his mates, questioning whether he'd be well enough to do an 'outdoor' job like Shula/Alastair...lots of scope there I think.
  
  All the best,
  VV

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Wednesday, 27th February 2008

  And I know yet another JRA sufferer, year and a it older than 'Daniel,' who began sufferring from the condition at the sme time a it occurred in The Archers. He had 3 longish periods when he was in enormous pain and distress, but the drugs seeme to control it (as did Daniel's steroid treatment cause *him* ease) and he has not had a re-ocurrence since he was 11.
  
  I suppose every case is different.
  
  Christopher's operation for the cleft palate and hare lip, when he was 3 months old, was obviously a minor one,since the hospital said it was a complete success, and Susan was then able to look at him.
  
  

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by Snib (U2730908) on Monday, 3rd March 2008

  Cor, I sound a right moaning old minnie, don't I?
  
  Thanks very much for your replies everyone. Yes, I do have personal experience of JIA my eldest daughter has it.
  
  The original post was prompted by someone saying to me:
  "Oh well, it's JUVENILE" arthritis isn't it? She'll grow out of it, just like Daniel in the Archers"
  And I hastened to give a more realist idea, that some people don't grow out of it. And others get related problems - just like VV.
  
  And as Daniel is after all only fictional I decide I wanted to wish another flare on him to correct some people's views of JIA.
  
  This is very poor behaviour from someone who gets worked up about ischoos storylines normally. I'll go stick my head in a bucket.

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 5.

  Posted by smarttedebear (U3614285) on Tuesday, 4th March 2008

  Christopher's hare lip was discussed at some length here a while back. Mr Keri told us that it was 'made better' with an operation and that was that. This was questioned by several MBers with some knowledge of the subject. It seemed to me as if the SWs had got tired of the topic and dropped it like a hot potato.

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