Patient Stories
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Every patient’s journey is unique, but no one should have to travel it alone. The stories shared here come from individuals living with a variety of rheumatic and inflammatory diseases who chose to explore antibiotic protocols as part of their treatment journey. Some experienced gradual improvement, others dramatic recoveries, and many found hope simply by connecting with others who understood what they were going through. These personal experiences are shared to educate, encourage, and remind you that every journey is different and should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
If you’re looking for more than written stories, we invite you to join the Road Back Foundation Private Facebook Community, where you can connect directly with patients in real time. Whether you’re just beginning to research antibiotic protocols, preparing to start treatment, actively undergoing therapy, or years into recovery, you’ll find a welcoming community ready to share their experiences, answer questions, and offer practical support.
Lisa’s Story—From Juvenile Arthritis to Playing Sports Again
This is a success story about my son who is now in his mid-twenties.
When he was 14 years old, he started waking up in the morning with sore, stiff hands. We didn’t have a regular doctor at the time, so we went to a walk-in clinic. Blood work showed that his rheumatoid factor was very slightly elevated. The doctor told him to take ibuprofen daily to alleviate the pain in his hands and to return in a few months to have his rheumatoid factor re-checked. Upon re-check, his rheumatoid factor was back in the normal range and the soreness/stiffness in his hands had gradually gone away.
Nuket’s Story—A Mother Who Refused to Give Up
My daughter had a bad fall on her knee when she was skating in 2011. Her knee did not completely heal. It was swollen for almost a year without any other issue or much complaint from her. Still we decided to take her to Rheumatologist. Blood test and everything, diagnosis was JIA with ANA being 1:160. ANA was the only unusual blood work by then. Honestly, I did not pay much attention as she was not complaining and I did not even know what JIA is. And, I was very very busy with work.
Yvette’s Story—Eighteen Months Later, She Took Her First Steps Again
She was perfect in every way. Our beautiful baby girl. Did all the right things at all the right times, and did them so very well. Never fussed, rarely cried, a joy in every way. From crawling to standing to walking to running….She was 18 months old, woke up with a swollen right knee…couldn’t, wouldn’t put any weight on it…..couldn’t, wouldn’t walk…..as they day went on she would be able to walk again..with a limp..and unsteady. How can an 18 month old tell us what’s wrong?
Tori’s Story—A Mother Who Wishes She Had Found AP Sooner
Tori’s mother, Karen, wishes she had known about antibiotic therapy (often referred to as “Antibiotic Protocol” or “AP”) for rheumatic disease when her daughter was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) at the age of 19 months. “Tori had been ill with a respiratory infection (ears, throat, etc.),” she remembers. “Once this cleared up she had re-occuring fevers each day, a migrating rash and episodes of limping. By the time she was two, she had arthritis in her knees, ankles and wrists.”
Caroline’s Story—A Six-Year-Old’s Road Back from JRA
Two years ago, our daughter Caroline (not her real name) developed a swelling above her left knee. She was 6, and had been ice-skating every day for a week. In our ignorance, we did not think much about it. The swelling kept growing; after about a month it looked pretty scary. We took her to her pediatrician, who seemed concerned, and sent her to a specialist.
Emma’s Story—From Bedridden to Beating Her Friends at Bowling
Sometimes it is the absence of pain and stiffness, or the challenge of an activity, that lets me know how far I’ve come.
Connor’s Story—From the Couch to the Basketball Court
The basketball game, bicycle ride, and dreams of being a fighter pilot all started to fade into the past for our then 7-year-old son. The pain actually began one year earlier when he was in the first grade. Conner fractured his right arm in a soccer game and the pain never went away. In fact, the pain became increasingly worse and then strangely his left elbow began hurting. When he was in the 2nd grade, his right knee began to swell.
Emma’s Story—From the Dance Studio to the Fight of Her Life
From the age of seven, I set my heart on being a dancer. There was just something about it that captured my interest, and I soon fell in love with the magic of the stage. I was also a pretty avid athlete. I played basketball, tennis, soccer anything with a ball basically and that sense of competition and motivation embodied the essence of my personality. They completed me, made my life worth living.