Hello - Psoriatic Arthritis, seeking community

JoW309

Hello

I’ve had a diagnosis almost 10years

medication for almost 2 - after very bad flare during (first) pregnancy

still struggling to accept the condition, and find a way to live with it. I don’t want physical activity to be limited especially so to play and move with my toddler, but anti-meds and finding it hard to accept that I need them

on sulphasalazine and methotrexate (recently 20mg from 15mg) but may need to stop due to chest, lungs - waiting for tests

hoping there are people here who are mums with psoriatic arthritis - as I don’t know anyone with it my age/lifestyle/situation

anways - it looks like such a friendly space so here goes…

[Deleted User]

Hi @JoW309, welcome to the Online Community! It's lovely to have you here.

I see that you are a mum to a toddler and that you have had psoriatic arthritis for almost 10 years. You've come to the right place to find a community of people who will understand the challenges of your situation and appreciate how strong you must be.

For now I hope you will find these links interesting:

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

https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/november/how-can-strengthening-and-stretching-help-your-arthritis/

Please do keep us updated on how you are getting on, and continue to enjoy being a part of the Community.

Best wishes, Sarah (moderator)

stickywicket

Hi JoW309

I don’t have PSA. Mine’s RA (and now OA too) but those of us with an inflammatory arthritis have more that unites than divides us.

I don’t think anyone actually enjoys taking meds but I have to say that, as there were no modern DMARDS on offer when I was first diagnosed, I much prefer taking the meds to the consequences of not taking them. If I'd been able to take them from the start I probably wouldn't have got OA.

I started at 15. My RA cleared up, as it sometimes can, during my first pregnancy, made up for that after his birth and was awful during my second pregnancy. But we all survived. Fast forward nearly 50 years – I’m a tribute to orthopaedic surgeons😉 and my two sons are Dads themselves.

It’s not been easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. Physical activity is necessarily limited but how we deal with that makes all the difference. We have to let go of some things in order to hang on to more important stuff. We have to adapt constantly. I could never do all I’d have liked to do with my sons but I found other things to do with them that were more ‘arthritis friendly’. Luckily, my younger son was/is very big on music. Attending his concerts has not been a huge problem. His elder brother is into all sports. Cricket was fairly easily followed. Football was freezing! He’s now an American citizen so we get to watch our grandson playing nice, warm baseball in California.

You’ll find ways of doing things with your little one. As the Beatles so nearly said ‘All they need is love’.

 If you can’t take the current meds others will be found. Do take them. If we don’t, we just let the disease have free rein. That is definitely not good for our children.