We finally made it! Warm, long days; The kids are out of school; flowers are popping; and this is the slow season for PsA pain.
So how is everybody doing? Any significant change in symptoms? I think we are all interested in hearing some happy stories; it was a really rough winter for a lot of us, myself included.
Check in, let us know how you are feeling!
I'm feeling hopeful. I started on Cimzia on Friday and with a new med always comes the hope that this will be the one that works. My good hand has been far less stiff the last two mornings and I feel like I've been hit by only a VW bug rather than a truck, so I'm feeling pretty darn good today. How are you?
Hi GrumpyCat! That's great and a great attitude! I'll bet it's not easy when school's on and you gotta get up early every day to get the kids going! I babysit a granddaughter on my two days off work every week and that's hard enough! (And it isn't at 7 a.m. either! ) We had a baaaadd winter here--the coldest I can remember--long stretches of way below zero. I think there were about 5 "snow days" off school in our town for snow and/or extreme cold, which is unheard of-most years we're lucky if the kids get one day off!!! Last summer we had record breaking heat with Idk how many days near or over 100 degrees. But that's MN. So far this spring the weather's been phenomenal--I'm not going to complain about all the rain--YET! I figured out you're 20+ years younger than me and you have a lot of years ahead of you dealing with PsA. I hope for the development of better and better meds and treatments in the future-you never know! Biologics haven't been around forever and maybe there's better stuff yet to come! Anyway, I'm looking forward to starting on Enbrel and it's none too soon. Sure glad for this website! Have a happy day!
As long as the rain stays away, I am pretty well. I accept the pain level that I have and choose to move on about my day. I had a rough week; it rained every day! But, thankfully, the sun came out this weekend and I was able to live. We had a good weekend, and I am really hopeful that the clouds stay away this week!
I must be the outlier here- for several years I've had the most pain late spring, early summer. Don't know why. The newest biologic is starting to help, though, so the dog is getting a better walk in the evenings. Where I am, we have had a gorgeous June. It has been almost-hot during the day, and almost-cold at night, perfect sleeping weather, and we have even had a bit of rain- unusual for June, but most welcome.
The rain makes me feel awful, but my plants are MAMMOTHS this year! It’s not exactly a fair trade, but it does bring me so much peace to see everything in bloom. My husband has to pry me out of garden chair on a regular basis. I may work out there tomorrow. I have excellent wifi, and an extension cord for the laptop. 
I love Summer too. Sadly, it has gone into hiding for a little while where I live…
Though our winter daytime temperatures are often as warm as parts of North America and Canada in summer, so I guess I best not wallow too much!
And of course winter is Veggie gardening season here - so I love getting out into the garden on a sunny day
Back to the gym tomorrow after a long break for a work trip then holidays - winter means there’s not enough light for a full time job plus exercising in the sunlight, so I bribe myself to exercise inside at the gym by finishing off in the glorious heated spa!
It’s been a while since I went, and I’m a bit stiff, so instead of 30 mins exercise and 15 mins spa, I think I might swap the timing for a few weeks until I get suitably revved up!
oh I love the summer. I was limping through my last rheumatology appointment and made a suggestion that I might need some extra help from medication. My doctor reminded me that I do much better in the summer heat. And darn it if he wasn't right yet again. Most of those residual aches have gone and my energy is much better. Still getting some swelling and joint pain but in my small joints rather than in my hips and knees. So I'll take that trade-off as I'm highly mobile now whereas I had been sent to aqua therapy in December because I could barely walk.
I have my own theory about the heat and reduced pain/swelling. I like to think that it's hard on a body to constantly keep us warm. But as the outside temperatures get closer to our body temperatures we don't have to work so hard to be warm and that saved energy might get spent in other places in our bodies on lubricating joints and so forth. Now you can see the profound depths of my knowledge of physiology and biology!!
The changes in pressure from rain and storm fronts can cause some twinges but, still, the good days are so much more plentiful in the summer. And all the rain has meant I've had to do a lot less watering than usual so far.
I have to agree with most here that late spring/summer is the best time of year for the PsA, and a lot of my pain is less noticeable. However my fatigue is another matter, usually when the pain gets better so does the fatigue, but this year I've improved to a certain point and seemed to stop. So I'm wondering why? is this to do with fibro? As I'm not on any meds for that maybe I'll improve if I do get help with it. Seeing GP on Friday so may get some answers, I hope :)
I have a happy story! I have felt great four about 4 weeks now! It might be a cortisone "high" from a shot in my knee, but I'll take it! Love the warm weather, though we are having our windy season. Praying all of you are felling good and enjoying life!
Summer makes having this disease a little bit easier! I live in Vancouver Canada, so it’s always a little on the rainy side here, but we’ve been having pretty nice weather so far. I’ve also started humira so I’ve been optimist and in a better mind set . I love just hanging out on my patio, reading or listening to music on a nice day. Vitamin d can do such wonders!
I may be one of the few with increased pain, but that’s more due to spondylitis problems and the possibility my meds aren’t working as well as they used to than the weather. That means I’m trying to move more, and with preparations for Camp, that’s not difficult to accomplish! I’m planning on kayaking and hiking through the pain, as my energy levels seem to be improving and at Camp I’ll be able to balance activity with relaxing on the beach!
With the humidity increasing here in the South, I will be spending time in the pool, watching movies and reading. Ill let you know in a week when I am at swim meet and I have to sit outside all day for three days in Biloxi. That will be a true test.