Hello everyone. I've been diagnosed with PsA for almost 2 years. However, the journey to diagnosis was a long one.
I was initially diagnosed with Psoriasis when I was only 11 years old. By the time my 20's came around, I was beginning to experience pain in my knees. But I brushed it off as a side effect of being a computer technician and crawling under desks. After my 2nd child was born, I began experiencing severe pain in my hip joints. I saw a doctor who couldn't find anything wrong. It wasn't until I turned 36 that I began to experience pain and stiffness when trying to get out of bed and walking. Again I saw a doctor who did a battery of test and was again told nothing was wrong. After talking to my mom who has Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia, I decided to make an appointment with her Rheumatologist. It took him about 5-10 minutes to diagnose me with PsA.
So, here I am... And, I'm very glad to have found such a support group.
Glad to meet u under the circumstances. Let's hold each other up when we need it and give each other crap when we don't. Lol. Our disease changes daily. We need to communicate as much as we can. Because I believe the Dr's can't even keep up with it all. Hugggs
Welcome to the board! Thanks for taking the time to introduce yourself. I love reading everyone’s story. If you need anything, or have any questions, feel free to post away. You can also search the old discussions by keyword on the top right of the screen. There’s a lot of great info hiding in the old threads.
Welcome Techmom! I have found this group GREAT for lifting spirits when needed, providing a gentle, loving kick in the butt when needed, and most importantly, a great sounding board and group of gurus when questions are needing answers. There is probably more practical knowledge of PsA hiding amongst this group than in your average Rheumy's office. Of course (I have to say it), this board is not a substitute for a physicians care (yada, yada), so if there are medical concerns, you should consult your doctor (blah blah).... (HUGE GRIN). Anyway, welcome my new friend. Hope this board helps your journey find fewer stones in the path!
Hi Marietta. My boys are 8 and 12. They will be turning 9 and 13 next month. They are a little bit of a handful. My oldest son has Autism and my youngest son has ADHD...so they keep me a little busy.
I've found so much wonderful information already. Thank you for the welcome.
Marietta said:
Welcome techmom! How old are your kids? I have 2 boys, ages 12.5 yrs and 16 yrs.
This is a great board, you'll find lots of useful information here.
My oldest has autism as well. A bunch of us are dealing with that as a parenting challenge.
Techmomof2 said:
Hi Marietta. My boys are 8 and 12. They will be turning 9 and 13 next month. They are a little bit of a handful. My oldest son has Autism and my youngest son has ADHD...so they keep me a little busy.
I've found so much wonderful information already. Thank you for the welcome.
Welcome!!! It took forever for me to get my diagnosis - we think I've had PsA since I was 4 - I was 36 when I finally got diagnosed.
I have three boys (8 year old and almost-15 year old w/Aspergers, and 13 year old with clinical depression) and two girls (11 year old with undiagnosed joint issues and 5.5 year old).
Hi nym. Thank you for the welcome. Wow, that is a really long time to go without a diagnosis. But I guess there weren't too many doctors knowledgeable about PsA.
How does your almost-15 year old get along with his brothers? My almost-13 year old w/Autism does not get along with my almost-9 year old too well.
Alex, my oldest, gets along pretty well with his siblings. He and Zachary (13), are either best friends or are fighting, but their fights don't last for long. He seems to steer clear of his 11 year old sister, Haley, and he and our other Aspie, Coren (8), tend to drive each other a bit crazy, as Alex prefers to not talk while Coren will talk your ear off about everything and anything. Alex pretends to be bothered by his youngest sister, Alia (5), but you can tell how much he ADORES her.
I've found that being a sibling of someone on the Spectrum is as difficult as being a sibling who is on the Spectrum. Everyone needs to have their boundaries respected, and boundaries are difficult for Autistic kids ... and nine year olds! LOL And there's just a HUGE age difference between fifteen and nine. The things my 8 and 15 year old have in common: Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, their love of hoodies, and being part of the same family. That's about it!
You are right. I do forget that my boys are 4 years apart. The only thing they both seem to like is video games and going to the movies. It's great that your kids get along so well. While my boys to fight a lot, they do stick up for each other.
nym said:
Alex, my oldest, gets along pretty well with his siblings. He and Zachary (13), are either best friends or are fighting, but their fights don't last for long. He seems to steer clear of his 11 year old sister, Haley, and he and our other Aspie, Coren (8), tend to drive each other a bit crazy, as Alex prefers to not talk while Coren will talk your ear off about everything and anything. Alex pretends to be bothered by his youngest sister, Alia (5), but you can tell how much he ADORES her.
I've found that being a sibling of someone on the Spectrum is as difficult as being a sibling who is on the Spectrum. Everyone needs to have their boundaries respected, and boundaries are difficult for Autistic kids ... and nine year olds! LOL And there's just a HUGE age difference between fifteen and nine. The things my 8 and 15 year old have in common: Magic the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, their love of hoodies, and being part of the same family. That's about it!