Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I look forward to chatting

more and learning from everyone. I hope I didn't offend the guys in

this group...I just get frustrated with male Drs who are

condescending and treat me like I am a hypochondriac! It always

seems that I get a better response and a level of respect from

female Drs.

I am grateful that I caught this early since I think it runs in my

family and they are all undiagnosed and untreated. My mom is

virtually handicapped and is so tired of seeing Drs and taking

medicines that don't work --so she quit going. I am stubborn and

have been fighting and looking for hope and help in every corner I

can find. It has been an expensive journey and not much to show for

it, but it is better than just sitting around and feeling sorry for

myself!

I hope that one day there is a cure instead of all of us just

managing the effects and symptoms! If I can get my arthritis in

control, I have even thought about going into medicine and helping

find a cure...I know it is selfish of me, but who else can

understand the pain and suffering of RAs and PsA besides the

sufferers themselves?!

I am a huge fan of the Arthritis Foundation and even joined

their " Joints In Motion " Hiking Team last summer. Has anyone else

here joined one of their teams? I had a blast and got in shape

despite my fear of limitions and pain.

>

> Hi Everyone!

>

> Glad I finally decided to reach out and find other folks who are

> suffering from PsA!

>

> My story in a nutshell. I am 28 yr old and was diagnosed with PsA

a

> year and a half ago. Actually, it was my new oral surgeon checking

> out my TMJ who realized that I had a serious Rheumtological

disorder,

> not the usual suspects in TMJ and promptly sent me to my Rhumy.

>

> I started with TMJ when i was 19 yrs old and 4 years ago had a mild

> back injury that literally changed my life. Needless to say it

took 2

> years to recupe from that injury and I was never diagnosed with

> Arthritis for 3 yrs - my drs all thought I just had sore muscles

and

> it would go away. Amazing...I sometimes wonder if I was a guy with

> the same problems for that long if I would have been so neglected.

> The amazing thing is this...my Primary Physician is a

Rheumtologist as

> well. Needless to say I don't see him anymore.

>

> So then started my long winded path to where I am now. After a

process

> of elimiation it was determined I have PsA - I have never had the

skin

> condition. So at my tender age I have a bad neck, jaw, back, Left

> knee and now it is creeping into both of my hands. Although I will

> say this...PsA seems to effect my left side more than the right.

> Which lead to a scare a few years ago that I had MS...but mulitple

> MRIs and a new scare related to Enbrel shows that i don't.

>

> So I was on Enbrel for 1 month and it was working great until the

MS

> symptoms creeped up. So after months of tests and being

depressed, I

> asked my Rhumy for an alternative medicine...so now I am taking

> Sulfalasazine...I think I spelt that right. All I know is that I

> can't pronounce it! I hope it works - so far I have had

minimual

> side effects...with me and my super sensitivity to medications,

that

> is a miracle. Or a sign that it won't work.

>

> Since my intial diagnosis, I have gone through a litany of

alternative

> medicine and tons of Dr appts to see if I have food allergies

(none -

> but i found out i was allergic to cats and dogs!), leaky gut

syndrome

> by taking the Sinai Sugar Test (I do, but the regimine to fix it

was

> incredible and the test itself was not fool-proof), taking

> Glucosamine, vitamin D, Vitamin C, Calcium and Magnesium

supplanments

> (nothing worked), and other alternative medical routes.

>

> I will say this...when my back was at its worst 2 years ago, it was

> Chiropratic care that got me walking again...and it was Acupunture

and

> a Barbara Brennan healer that were able to give me respite from the

> pain. Unfortunatly, I can't affoard any of these so I just pop

Advil

> like it is candy and exercise. I have found water aerobics to be a

> god send.

>

> Also, there is a new side effect of PsA that i have been

> expereincing...maybe some of you are familiar with it...ligament

and

> tendinosis problems.

>

> Sorry this is so long! I rarely ever tell anyone the details of my

> PsA because of my age no one seems to understand or believe

anything

> is wrong with me! I am pretty functional...I jsut can't walk 10

miles

> anymore, have difficulty getting out of the car and pop like a

bowl of

> Rice Krispie cereal - especially on rainy days! I hope to learn

from

> everyone here and to find glimers of hope and stories of bravery

> because right now i am feeling pretty hopeless and alone with this

> disease. I really don't know anyone else with PsA and I am

terrified

> of my future with it.

>

> Thanks for listening!

> Kat

>