Making Family Understand your Condition

AFish26

Hello, I am 26 years old with psoriatic arthritis. I was diagonosed at 18, I was in remission for years but about 3 years ago I had a bad flare up. My condition has gradually got worse with me having multiple joint steriod injections, steriods, upping my medication.

I am now due to start biological treatment in the coming weeks, I'm very nervous. However, my boyfriend and his family seem to not fully understand the extent of my condition. They have made comments about my "dodgey knees" as well as me feeling tired 24/7 and needing to nap.

I am at a dead end as how to make them understand how bad my condition really is. Does anyone have any tips on how to speak to them about it? Or make them understand how bad it really is?

Thanks

A

PeterJ

Hello @AFish26 and welcome to the forum. We are a friendly and supportive group of people and I am sure that you will get help and advice from the members. It does sound a bit like you could do with chatting to people who understand about arthritis and how it can affect your lives.

I can see that you have psoriatic arthritis that has flared up again and that you are due to start treatment soon. Hopefully that will help you. As regards making your boyfriend and his family understand you could try getting them to read up about. Our website has a lot of useful information, a couple of links below to pages that may help.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/january/all-about-psoriatic-arthritis/

There are some videos in the one above which might help them understand.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/psoriatic-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/january/adjusting-to-life-with-psoriatic-arthritis-has-been-a-journey/

Please do keep posting and I hope that you will connect with others on the site who can share their experiences - we are here to help. Also if you need specific advice don't forget our Helpline

https://www.versusarthritis.org/get-help/

With very best wishes

Peter (mod)

sunnyside2

I think its very hard for people to understand what they cannot see. When covid restrictions ease a bit try and get your boyfriend to go with you to some appts. Seeing a full blown medical professional take your condition seriously may jolt something in him and make it easier for him to accept

DODGYKNEES

You could get as much reading information as you can, books, leaflets on the subject and leave them lying around.