I’m 26 and I was diagnosed with psoriasis and PsA when I was 23. I had been having symptoms since I was a kid, I just never knew what it was. When I was 17, my knee swelled up to the size of a baseball. I went to the Dr and they did an MRI and sent me to an orthopedist who drew out two huge syringes of fluid and gave me a shot of cortisone. Two weeks later I was back, and my knee had swelled back up. They couldn’t see any reason for the swelling on the MRI. So they started blood tests for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and Lyme disease. None of them came back positive.
I bounced around from Dr to Dr, and no one could give me a diagnosis. I even had one Dr tell me I was too active (I liked to play basketball) and I needed to settle down and act like a lady!! Not even joking. Finally, I went to a Dr that referred me to a Rheumatologist that I had to drive two hours to see (#ruralproblems) and I was finally given a diagnosis and some medication. I was on a round of prednisone and methotrexate with folic acid supplements.
Initially, I felt wonderful. The Prednisone took care of the swelling and the pain, but when that was done everything seemed to go south. The first few months on methotrexate saw me feeling sick for three days after taking the medication, losing 10 lbs that I did not need to lose, and losing A LOT of hair. I kept it up for about a year, but I found that my pain wasn’t getting better and the side effects were terrible. I dropped the meds and was unable to see my rheumatologist due to the distance and the fact that she was booked out 6 months. I felt like “what’s the point?” I started back on Aleve that I had been taking prior to starting methotrexate. I felt better without all the side effects.
I went on like this for about 8 months, during which I got married to my wonderful husband and became pregnant with our now 4 month old son. I felt great during pregnancy and especially when they put me on progesterone for an incompetent cervix. No swelling, no pain, and only fatigue was from my giant belly weighing me down 
Which brings me to today. After about 2 years of not seeing a Dr, I am getting back in the game. I’m tired of “dealing” with the pain and frustration of being tired and unable to get around like a 26 yr old should. I’m going to see an internal medicine physician. There is a distinct lack of rheumatologists in my area. I am hoping she will be open to a holistic plan for treatment. I am nursing and I want to take as few drugs as possible. I’ll keep this updated on the changes I am making and how they are working out.