23 years old New diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis
Hi everyone my name is Mark,
I am new to this so please excuse me for ranting on, but I was recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (have had the stiffness/pain for about 4-5 months). All I can think of is how can I live the rest of my life with the pain and inability to even walk properly at times. I am currently 260ish pounds and have been overweight/obese for about 3-4 years. Before all this, I was pretty fit, loved playing sports and being active. But not I can't even see myself doing any of this. Mentally, it has been draining because I can't see myself living like this. I really want to go out with friends and play basketball with them but as of right now it is impossible.
Currently, I am on Meloxicam and waiting on getting XRAYs and MRIs of my spine before I can further go into better treatments. So I am not sure how better I can feel with those medications I will take in the future.
As of right now, the medication with Naproxen previously and not Meloxicam hasn't fully helped at all, but I think that is to be expected. My right ankle is in pain whenever I walk and hips whenever I stand up or walk up/down staircase.
I just graduated college this past spring semester with a nursing degree, and I can't think off how I'll be able to work those long shifts with the pain I am in right now.
Right now, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. This all came out of a sudden. My life before August, although I am obese, I was able to play basketball with ease. Run, jump. etc. And life after that has been a complete 180. I feel like I have a body of a 60 years old. I can't walk properly, I have a hard time getting up. I can't exercise because of my hips and ankle. It makes me really upset how I don't think my life can be the life I want to live because of the pain.
I know I am only in the early stages of treatment so I don't know how better I can be. But I do ask for any advice on how I can deal with this physically, emotionally, and mentally. Does it get better from here? Will I be able to play sports how I once did back in HS and college? Will I be able to work properly? Anything will be helpful, thank you everyone!
Also to add on with the pain, I am also getting pain in my left wrist, and back/shoulder. But really is the ankle and hips that prohibiting me from doing what I want to do.
Hi @markryanc, welcome to our community, we are so glad you are here. Please do not apologize for ranting on, our community is a safe place where people understand and we welcome you to share or vent when ever you need! Getting a new diagnosis is very overwhelming both physically and mentally, I can totally understand why you feel this way. I can hear what a shock this has been to you and my heart truly goes out to you. I really hope this community can help you with support and comfort. I also hope you have in person support as well! I am glad to hear you doctor has ordered x-rays and will be helping you with treatment. There are a lot of treatment options out there. While I hope you hear back from members of our community with their personal experiences, I am sending you several articles. The first one has some good advice for a new diagnosis: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/advice-newly-diagnosed. Here are two other articles that I also hope can help: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/newly-diagnosed-whats-next and https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/diagnosis-feelings. And finally, here is an article from one of our advocates that I hope can help: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/living/redefining-it-in-it-will-get-better. We are here for you. Please reach out at any time. And, please keep us posted on how you are doing. Jill, Team Member
Hey Mark, sorry to hear about what sounds like an abrupt change in your physical well-being! 🙁 I know how a lot of those aches and pains can make you feel like you're unable to do what you once loved or get you to a place mentally where you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, as you've put it. But... there's always hope, mate! You will learn new ways of adapting, you will keep trying new treatments, and not every day is guaranteed to be the same or worse than the last.
One way to positively spin where you're at: you've secured a diagnosis that for a lot of folks can take many years to come by while they toil away sans any treatment at all. It sucks to have the condition but at the same time it's such a blessing to be on the right treatment path instead of in the dark.
Next bit of advice -- it's not impossible to get back to what you loved to do. Now is the time to try out new shoes, new exercises, and maybe seeing a physical therapist if you can to help you find ways of moving that incur less pain. I didn't even know I was up against PsA several years ago but was dealing with a lot of stiffness and aches that made me feel incapable of anything physical too. Through trial and error I learned I need to take it easier than the average person in their 20s/30s, but comparing myself against only myself from one day to the next I've observed I can still make improvements in mobility, strength, and endurance. Sometimes a big boost to how you're feeling is as straightforward as the shoes you're wearing, other times you could catch an ah-ha moment and need something like a lift in your shoe to relieve uneven pressure on an ankle and/or hip. There are things out there for you, too, that in addition to your treatments can help you feel better -- don't give up hope! This disease affects us all uniquely.
While my symptoms have definitely progressed over time, so too has my capacity to pay attention to what I'm feeling and find a new workaround to help me keep going. I'm juggling more issues now, sure, but believe it or not I think I'm in better shape (flexibility, strength, and endurance) than I was 10 or more years ago. Some days I really feel like crap, some days I feel like a million bucks. The hardest work is being okay with that happening and learning to roll with it, making sure to care for yourself when you're having a bad moment and savoring it when you're living through a good moment!
Give yourself little goals to achieve and don't discredit their value or your progress. This disease is hard, it fluctuates, and all that pain is legitimate and unfair. You're in a different boat with PsA, but it's not a sinking boat. Maybe there's a smaller walking goal you can give yourself for starters? Say 10 minutes around the block every day and dial it up or down as needed. Personally, when I start a walk it hurrtttss like heck but things warm up and after a few minutes of sticking to it through the pain everything tends to relax and feel better (but of course, some days the pain is worse than others). Knowing what to expect helps me get through the initial ache and back into something I enjoy, and it sounds like a lot of people with PsA have that same initial hurdle. It's worth trying things out to see if the same is true for you.
Good luck to you Mark, and take care!
@ajakz "You're in a different boat with PsA, but it's not a sinking boat."
This is EVERYTHING! Thanks for being a supportive and understanding part of our community!
Hello Mark (@markryanc) and welcome to the wonderful world of PsA 😉
You've gotten some great advice so far from Jill and @ajakz I just wanted to second my support and understanding. I know it probably doesn't feel like it- but you've got this. 😀 One day, one hour, one step at a time we are here for you. If you feel comfortable with it, come back and let us know how your xray's and MRI go. It can be difficult to process the information sometimes, but with it comes of PsA, information is everything. You will be in my thoughts in the coming weeks! Take care of yourself. -Leanne (Team Member)
