You might have read my post last month about our trip to the ER with Capri. If not you can go read it, but here is a quick re-cap: Capri started limping really bad and could not straighten or bend her knee, it was swollen and hot. She had x-rays and blood work done and nothing showed up. A week later she went and saw an orthopaedic surgeon and he had no idea what it was. And then we moved to a new province.

So since that time she has been limping very badly and her knee has not gotten better so on July 21 we took her to our local outpatients where she had more blood work done (and they had to stick her 5-6 times to finally get a vein, which happened the first time as well, and she didn’t cry at all). So they still didn’t know what was wrong so they contacted the IWK (which is a large Children’s hospital) and we had an appointment to see another orthopaedic surgeon.

So we made the 2.5 hour drive to Halifax. Thankfully we didn’t have long wait times and our friend Jen stopped in while we were in the waiting room to say hi and gave me a present with tea and candy.

The ortho sent Capri for more x-rays and said she didn’t know what the cause was so she referred her to a rheumatologist but we were not sure when we would get in. We went to have lunch with my parents before the 2.5 hour drive home. While having lunch the hospital called and said they could get her in the next day. So we decided to stay at my parents for the night.

So, today we went and saw the rheumatologist. Within a few minutes the doctor told us that he was certain that Capri has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Thankfully she has the lowest form (4 joints or less that are affected), and it is only her knee right now. We saw the physiotherapist and she did a few exercises with Capri that we will do with her at home to help loosen her knee up, and she has been prescribed an anti-inflammatory drug. We will be going back to the IWK in September where she will have a drug put into her knee via a needle (she has to be sedated for it). This will help her knee to heal and will take away any pain.

So that seems to be the answer to all the questions about what has been wrong with her knee. Hopefully the medication will help with her movement. She makes a great patient and was willing to let the doctors poke her and bend her knee a lot.