what a surprise!

[Guest guest]

I was shocked about three years ago when I finally overcame my dread

and went to a dermatologist for help with a strange, hideous condition

on the soles of my feet and palms of my hands. It developed Forest

Gump style, " for No Apparent Reason " when I was 49 years old. The Doc

looked at the feet and said pustular psoriasis. The end. I was both

relieved (I feared it was some exotic jungleRot) and annoyed. It was a

real stunner that this condition would never ever get well, and if it

could be calmed down, it could Gump me anytime, for no apparent reason.

Now, here I am, several years down the road, having adapted to the

skin trouble with a sense of gratitude that it wasn't the worst thing

to have, really, there are some people suffering horribly with so many

terminal, debilitating, painful diseases. When all of a

sudden--Gumped Again. For no apparent reason, sharp pain in my heel

one day. A year later, burning pain at the base of my neck and in the

shoulders so I can hardly lift my arms. Then, aching and immobilizing

pain in my back and rib cage--that was a year ago. It felt like a

ripped muscle in my upper abdomen, and a bruised rib. No, it

wasn't--it is some type of arthritis. Now, here I am in 2006 and I

been Gumped...there's a bump on my pinkie finger first knuckle, and my

hands ache. In fact, except for the location, my hands look just like

the photo that was recently posted (I think it was Randi?).

So, having read all about 20 case histories here, and having looked

all around the internet about arthritis, and fibromyalgia, and lupus,

and even venturing into the nauseating realm of epizootics

(parasites), I think it is just easier to admit, it's PA I'll call

up my skin doctor, show him my pinkie and ask him to authorize the

relevant Xray and blood tests to confirm PA

It isn't clear to me that anything really helps arthritis, no matter

which form one has been awarded. To me, checking for joint and

cartilage damage seems vital, and developing ways to keep this

miserable condition at bay, so that I'm less likely to get Gumped

again would make sense. So much of the suffering I've read about here

seems compounded by lots of dead end treatments, side effects, and

false hopes. So, I'm going to keep an open mind, but basically--I'm

thinking of going with alternate/complementary approach, with

monitoring of the condition of my joints once a year. I hope I can

hold the PA at bay, somehow discover ways to prevent flares like the

one I've just been through that now at last is easing up on me. I

don't want to spend money, be disappointed, and frightened, and end up

with no relief of the condition anyway at the end of the day. I am

not on anything other than OTC for the psoriasis and PA flares: aloes

and ibuprofin and a very useful lactic acid lotion that is

prescription for the skin. I just bought a new heating pad, and have

learned to sleep sitting in a barcalounger until this episode passes.

Yeah, I know, it's just a matter of time until I get Gumped again,

right? Anyway, I'll hold out as long as I can from aggressive

measures, just in hope that when I really cannot function anymore,

there'll be something effective available. We'll see.

Thank you all so much for sharing your info, it helped me so much to

know that so many have already gone through the long, frustrating, and

ultimately painful progression of P and PA.