I have a professor- a young new Phd, who complained that I was taking notes on a laptop and when I told her I was doing so because PsA makes it nearly impossible for me to hold a pen, she suggested I try Corn Husker's Oil. The complete ignorance of this woman astounds me...of course I polietly thanked her for the advise all the while thinking:
"Why didn't I think of that! You mean to tell me the thousands of dollars I have spent on drugs and doctors, false diagnoses were for nothing?! The two weekly injections I administer, the endless pain meds, nsaids, steriods and the side effects I've suffered because of them- hair loss, weight gain, choleocystitis, MRSA infection, etc. have all been pointless- All I've needed to do for the past 6 years is rub some F'ing oil on it and my PsA would magically disappear!! Thank you so much "Dr." Know-it-all- I'm cured."
Trying to explain to people that I have a serious auto-immune disorder, not just a little joint pain is difficult- and it is not helped by the latest Enbrel ads where Phil Mickelson makes it sound like PsA is just joint pain- PsA is so much more and the world could use a little education.....
I understand the frustration and anger you felt. Sadly, that ignorance extends into the medical community as well. Case in point - A few days ago, I had to make an emergency room visit for extreme difficulty in breathing. Hardly able to speak, I told the Dr. that I have PsA. With a puzzled look, his reply was, ‘oh you have arthritis, do your joints hurt?’ REALLY? Are you kidding me? But I’ve become used to having to explain, so I attempted to explain the many concerns that this much difficulty in breathing would bring up when you have PsA. His diagnosis and plan of treatment - hyperventilation and a couple of doses of ativan. Serious. I just wanted to get out of there so I could get to my Dr. who actually has a clue. I don’t expect everyone to know all about this condition, but I would hope that he would have at least made the effort to look it up. You are so right, a good dose of real education on PsA could go a long way.
Oh my gosh, Janna, I just read your blog. I teach college, and I hope to heaven I would never say something that ignorant to a student. I’m sorry you had that experience. Good for you for pursuing your education and going on with your life in the face of this horrible illness. Shame on your professor.