Seenie, you are so right! It absolutely should NOT matter, but it worked. I almost piped in on another discussion about women being taken seriously but I couldn’t find the way to word it right.
Kara, I get it no need to apologize to me. I am only 41, and if my steering wheel could repeat all the things I tell it on my way to work you’d know just how much I understand. I can only imagine the anger over the poor treatment early on, my psoriasis didn’t appear until about 4-5 yrs before diagnosis but my toenails have been obvious for about 10. I just wish I had known anything about this disease before my ribs were unbearable. The rib probs have been an issue for me since I was 12. Pissed or not treatment takes time so does the process of accepting where you are and where you want to be. The good part is you found an amazing group of people who get it and listen to your rants, sometimes rant with you, or offer enlightenment.
Thank you so much! It is a little easier having people to talk to who understand what i'm gong through. We all have good days and bad one. good weeks, bad months. This past year has been the worst so far. sometimes it just feels like its never going to end. Being here and having support really helps. thank you
Hi sixcat - I'm interested in your comment about injecting Humira every 10 days or possibly every seven days. Humira was the biologic that worked best for me (so far), but I was approved for two shots a month which wasn't enough. Per my rheumy, this is the FDA approved dosage for PSA; RA can have weekly injections. He said it made no sense to him. So, now I'm wondering if it's the FDA guidelines or my insurance company's decision to disallow weekly injections?
Welcome, Kara! I’m so sorry to hear you have been having such a rough go. You’ve definitely found an amazing group of supportive, informed and kind people here!
I’m 41 and was just diagnosed in January. The last year has been the worst of my life health wise, and it’s been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Finding this site has been a huge source of comfort, information, and relief. You are not alone 
So sorry it's been such a terrible uphill battle for you, Kara. People have no clue what PsA can do--unless, of course you're one of its victims. I feel so bad for you younger ones, I honestly do not know how you continue working, having the financial responsibility for your family as well as everything else that goes along with being a parent.
Let's hope Humira works well--it can be a slow process, but hopefully you will notice less and less symptoms as the days go by!
GRACE80 said:
I was told this year that i need a knee replacement, but with me only being 39 they didn't want to do it yet. I've got so many mixed emotions at this point that it's driving me crazy. My knee started swelling 8 years ago, had x-rays done then and still the doctor just brushed it off. Now every joint in my body hurts. Some more than others, but if doctors would have pain more attention the me as a patient than getting through his day, maybe i wouldn't be going through this now. I'm pissed and in pain everyday. If it's this med will work, then we'll try this. I don't have time for that. I have a kid to raise, a mortgage and all the rest of my bills. Now i have to go to work everyday, in pain and hope that one day that pain "might" go away. Why was it never brought to my attention that the possibility was there when my doctors at a young age knew that i had psoriasis? It runs in my family and every time i went to a new doctor i informed them that i had it as well as family members. I know now that I have to have my knee replaced, but how much other damage is already done. I don't have a lot of money, I'm on medicaid. At least I have that and thank God i do. I just don't always get the best of doctors though. I'm just another number. Just another one of their guinea pigs that they can try and push their meds off on so they can get a big fat check. Sorry for all my ranting, but it's been really hard lately and just had to get some of it off my chest. thank you for listening, if you still are. lol
Kara, when you say “they” told you that you needed a knee replacement, who were “they”? Did they offer you any other kind of relief besides surgery?
GRACE80 said:
just started humira a month ago, every 2 weeks. kind of scared of the side effects tho
Never had a side effect from any of these Biologics. What are you afraid of specifically?
Hi Trisha:
I had been injecting Humira and MTX about nine months when I told my rheumy that the GI side effects had never left and I wanted to try Humira only. He agreed--and I injected every 14 days for the next three or four months. When I saw my rheumy again, I said I noticed a steep drop-off at about 10 days and asked if it were possible for me to inject every 10 days. He readily agreed and didn't say anything about FDA guidelines. Somehow, he got my health insurance company to agree also. When I saw him in December, he mentioned that if I noticed a change downward, we would try injecting every seven days. Once again, he said nothing about FDA guidelines. In neither of these situations has he shown any reluctance to change my injection schedule.
My guess is it's your health insurance company and maybe some reluctance on the part of your rheumy?
Trisha33 said:
Hi sixcat - I'm interested in your comment about injecting Humira every 10 days or possibly every seven days. Humira was the biologic that worked best for me (so far), but I was approved for two shots a month which wasn't enough. Per my rheumy, this is the FDA approved dosage for PSA; RA can have weekly injections. He said it made no sense to him. So, now I'm wondering if it's the FDA guidelines or my insurance company's decision to disallow weekly injections?
My rhuemy thought i was too young to get the knee replacement. He started me out on sulfasalazine, but that didn't work. so now i'm on humira. he also told me that i need to go from every 2 weeks we can try once a week. hopefully it starts working soon.
I also welcome you Kara. Aspyn I am also 41 and diagnosed in January. I have had so much pain since May of last year and still. On meds going into week 8 still no relief. Hope all of us feel better soon!
Aspyn said:
Welcome, Kara! I'm so sorry to hear you have been having such a rough go. You've definitely found an amazing group of supportive, informed and kind people here!
I'm 41 and was just diagnosed in January. The last year has been the worst of my life health wise, and it's been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Finding this site has been a huge source of comfort, information, and relief. You are not alone :-)
I hope you get some relief soon, Scienceteach!
Scienceteach said:
I also welcome you Kara. Aspyn I am also 41 and diagnosed in January. I have had so much pain since May of last year and still. On meds going into week 8 still no relief. Hope all of us feel better soon!
Aspyn said:Welcome, Kara! I'm so sorry to hear you have been having such a rough go. You've definitely found an amazing group of supportive, informed and kind people here!
I'm 41 and was just diagnosed in January. The last year has been the worst of my life health wise, and it's been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. Finding this site has been a huge source of comfort, information, and relief. You are not alone :-)
I understand your frustration I too have just been diagnosed after years of pain. My hips are bad because of the misdiagnosis for so long but I am too young for hip replacement. I also have pain just about everywhere and I can not stand or walk. I have been working as a teacher since diagnosis in January but it is exhausting. I am using scooters at both schools I work at. I hope your meds. will work for you quickly. I am still waiting 8 weeks in but I am hopeful.
Grandma J said:
So sorry it's been such a terrible uphill battle for you, Kara. People have no clue what PsA can do--unless, of course you're one of its victims. I feel so bad for you younger ones, I honestly do not know how you continue working, having the financial responsibility for your family as well as everything else that goes along with being a parent.
Let's hope Humira works well--it can be a slow process, but hopefully you will notice less and less symptoms as the days go by!
GRACE80 said:I was told this year that i need a knee replacement, but with me only being 39 they didn't want to do it yet. I've got so many mixed emotions at this point that it's driving me crazy. My knee started swelling 8 years ago, had x-rays done then and still the doctor just brushed it off. Now every joint in my body hurts. Some more than others, but if doctors would have pain more attention the me as a patient than getting through his day, maybe i wouldn't be going through this now. I'm pissed and in pain everyday. If it's this med will work, then we'll try this. I don't have time for that. I have a kid to raise, a mortgage and all the rest of my bills. Now i have to go to work everyday, in pain and hope that one day that pain "might" go away. Why was it never brought to my attention that the possibility was there when my doctors at a young age knew that i had psoriasis? It runs in my family and every time i went to a new doctor i informed them that i had it as well as family members. I know now that I have to have my knee replaced, but how much other damage is already done. I don't have a lot of money, I'm on medicaid. At least I have that and thank God i do. I just don't always get the best of doctors though. I'm just another number. Just another one of their guinea pigs that they can try and push their meds off on so they can get a big fat check. Sorry for all my ranting, but it's been really hard lately and just had to get some of it off my chest. thank you for listening, if you still are. lol
Grace80
I know it’s frustrating but you will get through this and things will get better. It seems unbelievable when you’re sent off to try something for 3 months which may or may not work, while you’re literally crying with pain everyday - well it was certainly fairly unbelievable to me! Little by little things get better, we survive and find some things that help. I certainly appreciate the good days a lot more!
I can’t take nsaids or oral steroids so when it hurts, it just hurts. BUT mtx has helped a little. It’s taken a year and a half to get a biologic (only 1 dose so far and no change as yet) and I am really hopeful that things will change. I really believe we shouldn’t have to get to a level of badness before we get medication to help, but that’s the system and it seems pointless to waste energy being depressed about it… We survive and we become stronger as we fight to get better. This site really helps with that!