I would love to make hundreds of copies of this article/tip sheet, add Psoriatic Arthritis to the heading and distribute it everywhere! (I’m sending this to my Mother!)
Do you have any Dos and Don’ts to add to the list?
My favorites from the list:
13. Don’t say: “You always flake out on plans!”
One of the worst things about RA is its unpredictability. “You never know if it’s going to be a good day or a bad day,” says Eric Kops, 48, who’s one of the “super rare/unlucky” people who has both rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis. “You can try to eat well and take care of yourself but there are no guarantees.” People without RA don’t understand that when you have a flare, you need to stay in, rest, and recover. “Even going to a movie can be too much when you are just sitting there and some parts of your body are just throbbing in constant pain.”
( or for me, debilitating fatigue that feels like there’s lead in my veins and my ankle is strapped to a 25 lb weight all day)
17. Do say: “I can see you’re struggling today. What can I do to help?”
This is a simple way of expressing sympathy for what someone else is going through, as well as compassion, by letting them know you want to help if they need it.
(I would love to hear someone say that! How often does someone offer you help?)
https://creakyjoints.org/living-with-arthritis/things-not-to-say-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients/