:(

For over a year now, I have been experiencing pain in my joints. It had started out not too long after I strained my Achilles’ tendon. My ankles often started to ache or get really tired and sore after short periods of exercise. My parents would just say I was healing, even though it was in both ankles and I’d only injured the one.

The aches never really went away, but never got worse either. That is, until the last 6 months or so. The pain quickly spread to my calves and knees, up to my hips. It was always bearable though. Not to bad, just a little cramp or soreness that’d make me have to rest. By this time running was very hard for me. I could never do long distance, but now I could barely make it from one side of the tracks straightaway to the other.

My hopes of joining the track team kinda just faded after that. Now, a lot later, I ended up going to the Er for some stomachs issues. While there, my mum asked the doctor what they thing is wrong with me, seemingly to make me stop complaining about it constantly. The doctor recommended I get tested for arthritis as that’s what it had sounded like.

Of course, we never went together tested, as my family is definitely on the poorer side of society. Not to mention the 4 other children and mentally ill mother to take care of. I never stopped bringing it up, but now no one seems to really care. The aches have gotten a lot worse, so much so that jogging is painful, and it has gone past my shoulders to my wrists. The ache as I type this out, but I really want some advice.

My mum never fully acknowledges my pain no matter how many time bring it up. I’ve even told my dad (who doesn’t even have custody) about it to see if he’d help. He didn’t. Father definitely believes I’m faking, and always says “you young ones know nothing about true pain” and then goes off about how much of a macho man he is.

People keep acting like they don’t care, and I thing the believe I’m faking for attention. I don’t know what to do and am constantly stressed. I’m 16 for goodness sake. Why do I have joints so weak it felt like I dislocated my wrists lifting myself to climb a tree??? It’s all too much and I just want it to stop. Even my friends don’t act like the believe me. If you have any advice, or even have an idea as to what the heck is going on with my body, please tell me. ( and don’t say growing pains it’s far worse and far more common, plus I’ve kinda reached the age where I don’t get those anymore)