Orchestrating a Pre-Emptive Strike on PsA

The pre-emptive strike. Knowing and anticipating what’s about to hit and putting pieces in place to make sure the fall isn’t nearly as brutal as it could be. If only we had a crystal ball to know when the people we love with PsA are about to have a flare or take a nose dive from remission. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t born with a finely tuned sixth sense or psychic ability, so we spend our time trying to be supportive, while feeling useless and unable to do anything to alleviate the pain.

Can't outsmart PsA, but...

As individuals we’ll never be able to completely outsmart PsA’s nasty attacks, but I will say there are some ways we can master a pre-emptive strike to help our loved ones through those rough times. For example, my best friend gets her medication injected every three months. Like clockwork about two weeks before she goes in to see the doctor everything shifts with her. It’s as if Cinderella is leaving the ball and the clock is starting to strike midnight. She doesn’t lose her shoe or turn into a pumpkin, but suddenly she starts to feel inexplicably under the weather, her moods shift, and her energy wanes.

The interesting thing about this, is that the symptoms that begin to appear often aren’t things we remotely associate with PsA. Quite often she starts coughing or sneezing. The lack of medication in her body seems to manifest as a cold or bronchial infection. This then often leads to a mad fear in all of us to make sure she doesn’t contract a bug that prevents her from getting her shot. On top of this, she also tends to have her stress level skyrocket.

Identifying trends

We’ve been down this road for a long time, but it wasn’t until the most recent experience that we realized that this literally happens every time. It got me to thinking, maybe we should keep track of this timing and put some tools in place to help prevent or at least minimize this experience in the future. For example, I told her that we should put on the calendar for the week before the next time she’s due for her shot we’re going to go for a spa weekend. Get away from stress, avoid as many germs as possible and unwind to counteract the lack of medication in her body.

A spa may not be the answer for everyone, but there could be something comparable that makes sense for your own experience. Some medications have horrific side effects when they first go into the body. Maybe in an instance like that, prepare for your loved one with a well-stocked pantry of saltines, water, tea, recommended binge-watching options and a clean bathroom floor should the desire to lay on it and feel the cold tile come about.

We know our loved ones know their illness far better than we do. What I also now know is that quite often they are so busy focused on what they need to get through each day, that they may not realize things that are about to hit them or the routines that can help. This is one of the few areas where I can be of service without feeling helpless. Get out your calendars, make a simple note of warning when the next storm is due to arrive and start plotting some things you can do to cushion that blow before it hits. These little things can make a huge difference and can help keep your friends and loved ones on track and well, in spite of what is coming at them.]