Hi Everyone!
Thank you for letting me be a part of your support group. My name is Tabitha & I was diagnosed with PsA about 4 years ago. I'm excited to have people to talk to since I do not know anyone who has PsA. It's unfortunate that any of us have to be here, but I am glad that none of us are alone. So, again thank you!
Welcome. You're right. It IS unfortunate that we are are here, but I think this community is TOP NOTCH and I hope you'll find it a welcoming and supportive place. There's a TON of collective wisdom so don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it!
So great that you have found this forum. I was recommended to go looking for a group online by my Rheumy, and I am lucky that I know someone who has had this for several years (my own mini support group). I have found the group amazingly supportive and knowledgeable.
Rest assured no one is going to try and ram new age quackery down your throat, which is what usually happens when you try to explain this disease to someone. (“My aunties, cousins, best mate had that and sprinkled it with gnats urine under a full moon and was cured!”)
So welcome and enjoy
Lol@Becstar. I’m pretty sure some days I may be tempted to try that remedy.
And I don’t know that I am resilient. I just didn’t really have any other choice but to deal with it alone. I hope I can offer advice or wisdom to someone. Yet, some days I feel like I still don’t understand things myself. I guess that’s why it is good that we all have each other. 
Tabitha, I'm the same. I've had Ps and PsA for years. Even tho I'd look online for advice and different remedies, it took until this spring to stumble upon this website. So, if everybody thinks I'm on here too much, I'm making up for lost time haha!!!
People who don't have the disease just wouldn't understand, so I never brought it up to my coworkers. Actually, I'm trying to get more hours at work so I can get the insurance benefit. My husband is retiring next year and I'm under his insurance. I'm afraid if I tell them I have this disease they won't increase me to full time.
Now that I'm having such horrible back pain, Idk if I could tolerate more hours. :-(
People really don’t understand. I am 32 yrs old & you should see the looks I get when I say “I have arthritis”. Most of them think I’m lying. It almost makes it pointless to say anything to anyone, but I do anyway. I still don’t think most ppl believe me.
I hope you get the hrs you need to get on insurance. Do you have a desk job or are you on your feet all day?
Don't bother with arthritis. The disease is actually being renamed because it isn't psoriasis either. Just blow their minds with seronegative arthropathy - a progressive autoimmune disease that destroys both joints and connective tissues as well as attacks all major organs. They should start as Seenie would say bringing you casseroles within the week. if they are particularly testy you can always add. My doctors and I were hoping it was just Rheumatoid arthritis, but sadly it wasn't. You might even get some help with your housework.
Even my own kids don't understand sometimes! I have pushed through a lot of feeling crappy with a good attitude so as not to get everyone else depressed! A lot of the time our kids could see right through my fakeness. When I started Enbrel, they were so happy they had their old mom back--so I hope Enbrel keeps working!
People can be rude and say things like oh my brother has severe pain in his back that goes down his leg and he doesn't even take pain pills. He's such a trooper. Someone said that to me at work on Tuesday! I'm thinking, nobody could take this pain without pain pills--I've had back therapy a few times and I've always said the pain was only about a 7 and I could go to work and do my housework. This pain now has me almost incapacitated (except for walking to the bathroom groaning). I'm sure some people could take more pain, but some would have gone to the ER.
Only we know, and everyone's symptoms are different and varied-but the same in so many ways! Some people tell their story and it's almost like they're telling my story!
Tntlamb, please don't say progressive.... Does that mean we're all doomed to get worse and worse? :-(
Tabitha said:
People really don't understand. I am 32 yrs old & you should see the looks I get when I say "I have arthritis". Most of them think I'm lying. It almost makes it pointless to say anything to anyone, but I do anyway. I still don't think most ppl believe me.
I hope you get the hrs you need to get on insurance. Do you have a desk job or are you on your feet all day?
Ooops, sorry Tabitha, I didn't answer your question. I have a desk job but I'm up a lot which is OK when I don't have back pain. I work 20 hrs/week, and actually 30 hrs would get me the insurance benefit, so that would be ideal.
Sorry, also, you're only 32 and have PsA. That's horrible! I hope there are better meds on the horizon!
Tabitha said:
People really don't understand. I am 32 yrs old & you should see the looks I get when I say "I have arthritis". Most of them think I'm lying. It almost makes it pointless to say anything to anyone, but I do anyway. I still don't think most ppl believe me.
I hope you get the hrs you need to get on insurance. Do you have a desk job or are you on your feet all day?