My Real Story & Real Life With Psoriatic Arthritis
For 30 years, I have had to endure the silent enemy of psoriatic arthritis. When did I notice that something was wrong? As a young adult, something always hurt me. Young people around me were not having the same pain I was. Over time, I just learned to take everything just as it was.
I remember going through puberty with severe psoriasis, someone told me it will never go away. My self-esteem was crushed. The condition covered over 80% of my body and I was living in severe pain. This is what life was for me.
My childhood is still a sensitive issue because I had a stressful one. Trust me, stressful conditions can just worsen the symptoms.
My story with psoriatic arthritis
I remember it, oh so well. I was raising 2 young children. It was winter and it all started with extreme pain and fatigue. The pain became more and more intense each day. My eyes and joints started bothering me. It was clear that something was not okay, but no one could understand it, especially my doctors. This made for a very lonely world.
I was quickly diagnosed with depression, but besides the pain, I was genuinely happy on the outside. I finally saw a physiologist who said I was crying on the inside and smiling on the outside.
Because of the constant pain, I also developed anxiety. My thoughts were only focused on how to get rid of this pain and suffering?
The journey to psoriatic arthritis diagnosis
It took me 25 years. We can get fooled by the so-called suspected diagnoses. As for advice to others, I have to say that a good, trusted doctor is something that we all need. This would have helped me a lot earlier in life.
At least he would have paid much more attention to recognizing what was going on with me. Instead of real therapy, I was given antidepressants and told it was all in my head. Much later in life, I ended up with 3 doctors who came up with the same conclusion: psoriatic arthritis.
Do doctors take their patients seriously?
Well, I wouldn’t want to generalize, but subjectively, I’ve had some bad experiences. I received a fast and wrong diagnosis based on my symptoms, environment, and my fears. There are some brilliant doctors that will give their best in helping and diagnosing patients.
I am grateful for them. It's important that patients never give up. Continuing searching for second, third, and even fourth opinions.
My current psoriatic arthritis story
Despite my pain, I have a positive outlook on life. There are some moments of despair too. This condition affects both my physical and mental state. This pain has been with me most of my life.
As an adult living with a chronic illness, I must take my medication on time and try to exercise for overall health. The condition has forced me to work from home which came with its own shame.
I know I don’t have much control when I have a flare, but I can decide what I can control and enhance my feelings of self-worth. That's how I try to deal with psoriatic arthritis. I have had to endure a lot of negative things from the outside, but it has helped me to have a positive attitude on the inside.
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