The Final Chapter Closed That Affected My Psoriatic Arthritis

I believe in writing about things that affect me personally. By being open, it helps others relate to what I am going through. It also serves as a type of therapy for me. Over the last year and a half, I have been telling you about the situation with my left knee and how it has been affecting my psoriatic arthritis.

When an injury triggers a PsA flare

Just a quick recap: In December 2022, I suffered a broken knee after I was attacked. It caused my psoriatic arthritis to flare, probably the worst it has ever flared.

My knee is still not right and will not be until I have a total knee replacement. To say it has been a long journey is an understatement. Between the mental and physical challenges, it has caused my psoriatic arthritis to flare on multiple occasions.

Facing the challenges

Last week saw an end to at least some of what I have been going through. It has been a stressful and emotionally draining time.

The mental toll it took on me all week was torture. There was no doubt in my mind, as stressed as I was, that my body would not react.

The long wait for the trial didn’t help, leaving me with days of stress about what was coming and what I needed to do. The attack kept playing over and over again in my head like a bad song.

All the days and months it took to endure rehab and physical therapy to be able to walk again. I would have to get up on the stand and recount all of it in court.

A chapter closed

I was to report to the Victim’s Advocacy office before going to court. Right before the trial began, the District Attorney offered her one more plea bargain. I never had to step foot in the courtroom, nor did I have to see her. The vindication for me was knowing she had to stand in front of that judge and say she was guilty.

As I sit here and type this, I am hurting physically. Stress is a big trigger for me. I can’t even begin to tell you how stressed out I was.

The emotional burden had my body so tense it felt like I had twisted myself inside out. I spent the weekend in bed, barely able to move.

While I am relieved this chapter is finally closed; I still have a total knee replacement to face. Psoriatic arthritis doesn’t care about timelines. It is flaring and likely causing more damage to that knee and the rest of my body.

It is what it is. All I can do now is get through this flare and move forward with my life.