RA and picky eaters (a poll for the group).

[Guest guest]

I guess you could say RA runs in my family. My mom, her cousin and I

all have it, and we all got it in when we were in our 30's. I went

to visit my mom and my sister a few weeks ago, and she said it looked

like me and my sister switched kids. I am petite and my 3 yo

daughter has always had a ton of baby fat. My sister is average and

his this teeny-tiny little 2 yo girl. Then my mom started thinking

and the three of us with RA were all teeny-tiny as kids, and were

very finicky eaters. Her brothers, sister and cousins who were

healthy eaters and average sized kids, do not have RA. My sister is

barely in her 30's so the jury is still out.

So here is my question for the group. Were you small, skinny and a

picky eater when you were a child? If so, how old were you when you

developed RA?

Also, since we are polling, I always believe in the trigger theory

that says RA is something you can get, but you actually develop it

when you have a period of high stress/illness and your immune system

is weak. My mom got RA after a bout with bronchitis and pneumonia

and while having a ton of stress at work and home, being a smoker,

etc. My mom's cousin has diabetes and she got RA during a period of

overwhelming stress at work and while having two little babies to

care for. I got it when I was having a lot of work stress and then

got a horrible stomach virus.

So second polling question: Did you have a period of high stress

and/or severe illness shortly before RA symptoms started?

Jennie