New and so happy find this......HELLO

HELLO, SO NICE TO FIND THIS GROUP, JUST DIAGNOSED IN AUGUST AFTER 3 DERM DOCTORS AND 3 RHEUM. DOCS M DURING A 5 YEAR PERIOD. ONE LOST JOB BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY JUST THOUGHT IT WAS DEPRESSION ONLY, WHICH I WAS BY THIS TIME, THEN I ASK MY BRO.IN LAW TO RECOMMEND A RHEUM. IN TYLER,TX..... YES YES I TOOK MY ABNORMALBLOOD WORK , WHICH HAD BEEN DONE BY MY NEW PCP. FIRST VISIT HE FELT SURE IT WAS EITHER PA OR MAYBE LUPUS, BUT PROBABLY NOT. WHEN I WENT BACK HE STARTED ME ON SULFASALZINE AND A ROUND OF PREDNISONE. DID NOT WORK, NOW I AM ON METHOTEXATE , FIRST ROUND UGH, 2ND ROUND LEG JOINT PAIN, CALLED DOC AND HE UPED MY FOLIC ACID. LAST WEEK- 3RD TIME, MUCH BETTER. GO BACK DEC. 2ND. MY LEGS FEEL MUCH BETTER AND THAT WAS MY MAIN COMPLAINT FOR 2 YEARS . THE KNEES WERE HORRIBLE TOO. SO THATS WHERE I AM. MY FEET LOOK DIFFERENT OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO, AND I HAVE HAD SOME ANKLE SWELLING. I HAVE REALLY CUT BACK ON GOING OUT I.E. MOVIES, SOMETIMES JUST GOING OUT TO EAT WITH HUBBY. AND I GUESS MY BIGGEST SURPRISE IS FAMILY, FRIENDS- CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER NAME OF IT AND I THINK THEY THINK ITS JUST A LITTLE PAIN MAYBE JUST BECAUSE OF AGE. SORRY DONT MEAN TO BE UGLY BUT THAT IS JUST THE WAY IT FEELS SOMETIMES. WELL, THANKS IF YOU READ THIS- SUPPORT IS SO NICE TO HAVE.........

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Hi Dremma, glad you found this website, too. The support here is a life saver.....

I have to say I agree with you that friends and family just don't get it. I can't really talk with family about it--they seem to think I'm making a big deal about nothing (and I don't even make a big deal about it--they simply don't like hearing me say anything hurts). At work, I finally told my closest coworkers that I have psoriasis and PsA after I went on Enbrel last year. Then I dropped the subject. When I've had to miss work for doctor appointments, my boss will ask what's the matter now? If I say it's PsA-related, she's like psori - what? She acts like she hasn't a clue what psoriasis or PsA is. She'll talk about so-and-so who has arthritis in her hands. Nobody seems to know how cruddy inflammatory arthritis makes one feel.

Oh well, we have the nice people on this website who understand! :-)

We do have nice people who understand here, Dremma. Unfortunately (or fortunately, maybe) a lot of us have been through the diagnosis mill. Sometimes it can take so long to get this "thing" diagnosed and treated properly. Anyway, nice that you are here. Keep posting and sharing!

thank you so much,yes one doctor just said oh yeah its your knees, replacement in 1 to 3 years. no xray or labs. just so frustated.

I am with you. I've had flares in both knees over the years, and have osteoarthritic component along with the PsA inflammation component (big time) which has just ravaged them. The right knee in particular - all the way down the leg into the ankle and toes. Right now that is my main thing is my right knee behind the knee and the right ankle and right toes - and the spine - spondylitis. I swear just when one thing subsides another flares up and I am so very tired of this, and mine was just diagnosed, after a couple of years of more intensifying painful flareups I've been to specialists all over the place, finally diagnosed with PsA. I think there may be some reactive arthritis too - I'm HLA-B27 positive - but I just want you to know you are not alone. I understand the pain is excruciating and unbearable, the problem being that it is invisible, no one has a clue that you're in pain just sitting still even. Blessings to you.