If I Could Turn Ahead Time with Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a real disease that causes me pain every day. It affects my everyday life in the worst way.  It has started to affect me personally. I have started using voice response a lot more than just typing out the words.  I was so happy when I got my diagnosis for psoriatic arthritis, because it took me 25 years to get the right one and get the proper treatment. Having this disease has surely been one thing after another.  As I’m getting older, the pains are getting worse. I have pain in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings. There are days that my whole body feels like it is being attacked, and I just stay in bed all day and wish it away.

We have done some wonderful things in technology in the past 25 to 50 years. Man has done just about everything.  We can clone animals, had a man walk on the moon, and created flat screen TVs, electric cars, and cell phones.

Looking into the future

I thought for a moment if I could travel ahead about 50 years. I would already have a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. For me personally, I would freeze all the symptoms of this disease. I'd put the painful joints in the time machine. When my joints begin to swell because of inflammation I'd put them in there. I would put the symptoms that often make my blood pressure go up, cholesterol and type 2 diabetics get out of control in there also. I'd put the autoimmune system in the time machine. There would be no more pain and suffering.

This is only wishful thinking. The truth is that I must deal with stiff joints. I must make sure I continue to take my injections. Sometimes I have nights when I don't get any sleep because something is hurting. There are times when I'm not able to do all the things that I use to do. This sometimes makes me feel bad, but I understand I can only do what my body allows.

Flare-ups are something that can show up at any time. When I have flare-ups and psoriatic arthritis acting it lets my body know something is wrong.

But living with today

Currently, it’s not 50 years ahead in time and I must cope with my condition. I’ve tried several treatments over the years. I was searching for that one treatment that would be great for all my symptoms; nothing has come up yet.

Everything I do in life has to sync up with my disease. I must watch my blood sugar, eat right, proper exercise so that these other symptoms don’t manifest themselves. I currently have type 2 diabetes. I must be conscious of what I eat and how much I eat. Watching my weight is very important as it helps with the inflammation.

My doctor has told me on many occasions that being overweight is very damaging to the joints and can impact and destroy them. Our disease is an autoimmune disorder. When we have psoriatic arthritis the bodies immune system mistakes healthy cells for invaders and attacks them, which is not good in the end.

Maybe I will travel ahead and see what’s in store for us and bring it back to cure us now.

Over the years, I have been an active advocate for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, speaking up and out about this disease.