Now Closed! PsA Awareness Month Shoes Giveaway!

"Being as descriptive as possible, how would you explain the PsA symptom that is currently impacting you the most?" The symptom that has affected me the most, for years now, is definitely fatigue. I can work through joint pain, butter fingers, psoriasis patches, and swollen hands and feet, but the fatigue robs me of joy. Fatigue comes with brain fog and a disinterest in activities I used to love. The good thing about learning what causes extreme fatigue (PsA) is also learning to set limits to spending energy. I've become more assertive and protective of myself. By saying 'no' to something that will drain my energy and lay me up in bed, I may be able to enjoy birding or walking my dog. Maybe saying 'no' makes me a boring person to be around, but it does help me to find personal joy again. This leads to another area where fatigue has impacted my life - relationships, especially at work. Fatigue has caused me to volunteer to do odd jobs at work less often than I used to do. It is the hardest area for me to say 'no' in, but I simply have to do it. I don't feel a need to explain my reasoning to anyone, but a lack of explanation leads to less understanding and unmet expectations from others. In this way, PsA fatigue has touched every aspect of my life - spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational.

"Being as descriptive as possible, how would you explain the PsA symptom that is currently impacting you the most? " I don't know if I am eligible to enter this because I have not been diagnosed with PsA. I believe this is what is causing my fatigue, sore, stiff joints, aching muscles, headaches that won't quit, swollen ankles and feet, trigger finger, memory problems, confusion, brain fog, trouble focusing and balance issues. With all of these problems in addition to the stiff, achy fingers and hands that won't hold on to things, feet that feel too sore to walk on and sometimes let me fall; you'd think surely one of these things is the symptom that impacts me the most. But it isn't. You would also think diagnosing this would be at least possible if not easy. But it's not. This is the thing that impacts me the most. Doctors and nurses start out listening then their eyes seem to glaze over. No one is willing to say the words unless another says it first. Frustrated, I go from one doctor to another, hoping this is the one who will step up and say "yes, you have PsA" or "no, you don't". The uncertainty and disappointment of not knowing if I will ever find an answer or have more than one good day in a row is what impacts me the most.

The psa symptom affecting me most right now is the pain and swelling in my right foot. The pain in the ball of my foot feels like walking on hot coals and makes it difficult to walk and the swelling in my toes makes them very sore and hard to move. My only comfort right now is my hoka shoes with orthotic insoles and on really bad days I will also add memory foam inserts. Days of wearing heels and sandals are long gone.

"How much do you usually tell others about your PsA?"
Very little. Most people I interact with assume PsA is minor arthritis pain. They don't understand how your fingers swell every night so that it is hard to use them in the morning. Or that shoes are worn for comfort and not for style any longer. I stay weather aware as that it my worst trigger for a flare, but people often don't understand that I push through the hurt to be with them. I don't say these things to people because we all have things we push through to do what we enjoy or be with people we love. The details aren't so much important as the fact that I came to your party, even though it's going to storm and I will be hurting. Compassion and understanding are what's important. I'm fortunate that I have understanding people around me. Those who do not understand would not cate about the details anyway, so I don't let them bother me.