Hello, since jumping into discussions here I realized I never introduced myself. Sorry 'bout that. I am a 54 year old women who has has Psa for about 15 or so years. I have a very supportive husband. I was officially diagnosed about 6 years ago. It was a very long delay from the time of the inial symptoms and a diagnosis.
I have been on all nsaids, Enbrel and Humira. The side effects outwayed the benefits except for Indocin which I am currently on.
Athritis runs in my family. Both PsA and RA. My grandmother was diagnosed with RA the year I was born. I spent 35 years caring for her, then a few years later got hit with Psa. So my life has been one long seige with arthritis. Anyhoo- Since posting here,I find myself thinking about this disease 24/7. Replaying my families experiences with it and now mine. That in itself is not healthy. I am limited in treatment options and I would rather not dwell on that thought.
So I may or may not post again. I'm not sure.
But thank you to all that have responded and your kind words and advice.
Carry on with your good work!
Cayuse
Well I have enjoyed hearing your responses and questions but I do understand the need to not dwell. I wish you luck if leave and thank you for what you have shared. If you find balance would love to see you back again.
Ah, don’t go, cayuse! You’re fun and interesting to have around. You will strike a balance at some point.
Love your term “seige”. It really is like that, isn’t it?
Stay well, and if you do take leave from us, do come back and check in from time to time. We have lots of members who do that. Good luck with everything.
C
Hi guys, thank you. I may be back but I have just now realized how my entire life and almost every desicion has been dictated by athritis. My first memories are of my Grandother having a flare. In the fact the first picture taken of she and I she was in the middle of her intial flare and I was a week old. And I was with her through it all from then on as we lived with her. I don't go to the doctor or take care of myself as well as I should because " I've been there, done that" already. Like "deja vu all over again :o !" Crap, what a whine!
I just wanted to give my history a little so everyone wouldn't think I was a troll if I vanished.
Cayuse we can recognize trolls when we see 'em. 
And before (in case) you disappear, let me say that we’ve been there and done that already too. And it gets old. Fast. But you need to take good care of yourself, and we’re here to support you in that. All of us are volunteers, and we all know what having this disease means. Lean on us when you need to. We’ve all done our fair share of leaning.
Take good care, Cayuse. Hope you stick around. I like talking to you!
Welcome- and hope you at least check in every once in a while! It's been great chatting with you! PsA can take over our lives both physically and mentally - I'm glad that you're recognizing your need to expand your horizons and find something to concentrate on outside of the world of arthritis.
Cayuse, I sometimes think the same thing has happened to me, but I've been all-consumed by the disease since I was diagnosed with PsA 6 years ago. And, funny thing is, having moderate psoriasis since my early 20s (I'm 61) I was never bothered much by that, even though I was very self-conscious of it.
I feel a debt of gratitude to so many people in this support group who have listened to me and encouraged me along the way (I've been here almost a year now). I don't have any close relatives with anything like this, so nobody to talk with. My husband's mom had mega health problems most of her life and she, I guess, begged for sympathy constantly. So, my husband doesn't care to hear about my PsA symptoms. Nor do our kids, and I don't want to make them feel bad for me...people here understand and we can lean on each other.
Social media of any kind can get addicting, though, and it isn't such a bad idea to do it in moderation. Like Seenie said, you're fun and interesting! But, you need to do what's best for you.
Take care, and I hope you come back now and then!
PsA is very debilitating. I'm just wondering if some people actually find relief from the meds. I feel like there's no hope for me. I can't walk, can't clean house, go shopping, can't work, can't even sleep in a bed because of the pain on my joints. I'm at my wits end. I don't know what to do. In feel doomed, like my life is over. Any suggestions?
Valerie- people will get different types of responses to medication. I get a decent response, though not overwhelming. Other people will fail on multiple meds before finding meds that work. And for some, the meds can be truly life changing.
Even in my case, I have a fair amount of soft tissue damage. But I have minimal damage on X-ray, so clearly the meds are working overall. It takes time to find meds that work, and you may find yourself back there in the future.
valerie said:
PsA is very debilitating. I’m just wondering if some people actually find relief from the meds. I feel like there’s no hope for me. I can’t walk, can’t clean house, go shopping, can’t work, can’t even sleep in a bed because of the pain on my joints. I’m at my wits end. I don’t know what to do. In feel doomed, like my life is over. Any suggestions?