11 month update

So the Story so far…

I am a 44 year old satellite/Comms Tech,and in my job we use ladders quite a lot, aswell as other access equipment.

I would say over the years I have had various sprains and niggles, that would clear up over days, maybe a week. I also had slight psoriasis from time to time in different places, though never particulary bad,itch or annoying. I would say roughly a year before I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritus (PsA) nails were getting pitted, separating from nail bed and a couple fell off (at different times). I just thought maybe I banged fingers at work and damaged nails without me knowing about it. So looking back there were some signs.

So skip forward to midway January 2016. I had a sore left foot a slightly swollen right achilles tendon, as month progressed the little niggles I thought would go away, got worse both feet swollen including 3 toes on the left foot, also my back was getting tight and starting to feel sore. I went to hospital via my Gp and a few days later was diagnosed with PsA, i was initially treated with Sulfasalazine and prednisone and then sent home from hospital on a set of crutches. but after a couple of months once i was coming off the steroid, the symtoms became a lot worse. My rhuemy at the time doubled the dosage and would see me again in a couple of months. Again 2 months later, I was actually worse than I was before I went to hospital. This is when I changed rheumys, my original one was going to change dosage of salazopyrin.

We are now in May, my new rhuemy has started me on 20mg methotrexate and vimovo. During the time to my next appointment in september my mobility improved from struggling to walk anywhere with 2 crutches and sometimes unbearable pain to 1 crutch, to then no crutches, but i still had a moderate amount of pain and discomfort and i could only walk small amounts of a distance before the pain would get worse. I should also point out I would tire out very quickly. Then in september, i was put on Humira and a reduced dose of 15mg methotrexate aswell as the vimovo. during the last couple of months I feel I am getting better but very slowly. It was during this period we had a holiday booked.(from before i was ill) we thought long and hard about cancelling it. But decided against it, if i was going to suffer, i was going to suffer in the sun, and afterall my missus deserved it after having to put up with me this year!!

My last visit to my rhuemy was last week. He has decided to continue the course of treatment i am on at the moment, as for the first time this year my immflamation counts are back within normal levels, so he want to give the Humira a little more time to work on my achilles and foot, I should also point out that movement in my back neck and spine near back to what they should be and are pain free.

I know I have went on a bit. But in the new year I will hoping to get back to work in feb (thay have kept my job open for me)
I think i covered everything for the year

So I would like to say to everybody stay positive at this time of year, as this condition does take time to control, some quicker than others… and good luck to everybody in the new year!!!

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DMan! Thanks for checking in. That is quite the PsA saga, isn’t it? And, I might add, it’s not an unusual one either. In fact, Achieving some degree of disease control in a year isn’t such a bad record, compared to what some of our patients have gone through. Well done for hanging in there and making good decisions about doctors and treatments. I always say that your relationship with your rheumatologist is going to be a long one, so if you aren’t comfortable with the treatment you are getting, move on. You did. Right on. Sounds like that switch really paid off.

Congratulations on going ahead with the holiday, too. It’s so easy to think “What’s the point – in my condition I probably won’t enjoy it anyway”, when in fact, a :palm_tree:vacation :palm_tree:
is exactly what will do you and your BFF good, not to mention getting you ready to fight some more. Because coping with this disease is exactly that.

Thanks for dropping by! Don’t wait so long next time: our members need to hear positive stories about people who are holding their own against this foe.

Happy holidays to you, DMan, and come back soon.

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D-man, thanks for sharing. Wow, how quickly your symptoms came on and, seems like you’re getting your PsA under control sort of quickly (I’m sure it can’t be quick enough, but, really, in the course of 11 months having such horrible disease progression and then turning that around with Humira and methotrexate seems phenomenal).
Enjoy that well-deserved vacation in the sun, and continued success with your meds! I can’t help but be sad for you younger people–to a lot of us, 44 is very young–but hopefully you’ll continue to have great results and enjoy many more relaxing, pain-free vacations!

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Thanks Grandma_J I should clear up, holiday was booked before I was ill, we went on that holiday crutches and all, it was worth it, just because i was in pain that wasn’t going to stop me… On the whole I do think im quite lucky in the way my treatment has gone, given some of the other heart-breaking stories on here. So you have to just keep looking forward…

Thanks Seenie I thought I would share my year, although not near as bad as others on here. I still think everybody telling there own story here might help each other a little bit. I do believe I have been quite lucky in diagnosis to seem to be working treatment timescale compared to others. Oh and I did take that vacation and it was great, I would say it helped me and my wife, relax and take stock of the situation we are facing in the future. Also dont be scared of travelling ie airports and stuff, people are generally helpful and there is usually assistence available (Just check before you travel) I felt, if i was going to be sore, be sore in the sun! dont get me wrong the flight was a pain in the a** but just do some preparation and it will be fine. sorry for rambling on again… Happy holidays to you!!

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You are so right about travelling: there is no need to avoid it because you have mobility issues or limited endurance. And getting away, taking stock, regrouping is so important in being able to weather the next 'rounds of whatever is coming your way. Because and plain as the nose on my face (and that’s a whole other story) there’s going to be plenty coming your way. A good friend of mine says that his PsA is the gift that keeps on giving. Yup, that’s about it.
Stay strong, D-man and stay in touch!

I think your story is a great summary of how things often go except that you managed quite a brisk time frame, I expect that is at least partly down to you moving things forward.

My experience was similar in that I had the aches, pains, swelling and fatigue, eventual diagnosis, tried things that didn’t help plus Methotrexate which certainly did, though not enough, then Humira which has helped massively. Like you I reached a place from which I could look back and breathe a big sigh of relief.

Whatever the future holds it is wonderful getting through that first part of the journey and so often it is biologics that make the difference. Thanks for sharing this great news, and the hope!

Thanks Sybil

I know i have made a big leap this year, will keep the forum updated. As I think it helps mentally aswell not just for me, but for others aswell. I just want to get over that final hurdle (for now) of returning to work in the new year… then i will continue the battle and hopefully I will read similar stories appearing on here… all the best

D-man! What’s new with you. Winter’s over, summer is here and how’s your PsA?

How about dropping by and giving us the lowdown?

Hope to see you soon.

Seenie