Living

You reach over to pick up your coffee and as you lift it off the countertop, your joints fail, sharp pain flying through your wrist to your elbow and that...

Is there anything really wrong with the placebo effect? I tend to think not. In our world of excessive information overload and cure all ideas for everything from under eye bags...

When we think about stress, it is usually our mental health that comes to mind. But that is only one form of stress. Through the years I have had a...

I have had psoriasis for 55 years and psoriatic arthritis for 25 years. It never ceases to amaze me what I can learn about my diseases. I have been going...

When you have a chronic illness like psoriatic arthritis (PsA), it’s common to see patients start to compare themselves to others. Who has it worse? Who is the most inspiring?...

Getting a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming. It is a chronic condition that can be challenging to live with. Most patients experience fatigue and pain...

My name is Janet Geddis, and I have psoriatic arthritis. (Enter that hackneyed AA joke where I expect all of you to say, “Hi, Janet” in unison.) I committed to...

Between school and work, the majority of my life has been spent sitting. I spend more than eight hours a day seated, and most of those hours are spent at...

Just when I think I have a handle on the implications of living with psoriatic arthritis, the monster rears its ugly head again, and I’m knocked down a few more...

I’ve experienced quite a few changes in my life since psoriatic arthritis made its grand entrance. Many of which include anywhere from moderate to severe emotional side effects. I’ve struggled...

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...

Like most other women, my body lets me know when that time of the month is approaching. My body begins to crave chocolate and salt. I also sob when the...

If you’ve ever tried to start a new exercise regime, then you have likely heard the advice, “Listen to your body.” But when you have psoriatic arthritis, sometimes this can...

I used to laugh at the notion that exercise could decrease my pain level. However, once I found the forms of exercise that my body could handle, I discovered that...

I wish I could say that I have loved myself through every stage of psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, and endometriosis, but I haven’t. In fact, there were times when I absolutely...

Many days, I feel like I’m not only losing my mind, but my memories as well. Here in the psoriatic arthritis (PsA) community, we talk a great deal about brain...

"You're on the road for osteoporosis." My heart sunk. At nineteen years old, it was the last thing I ever expected to hear. My new rheumatologist was looking through reports...

Changing health insurance providers is not something I like to do. It often requires having to find a new primary care physician and specialists. Spending a few dollars more is...

I wouldn’t even begin to know where to start if I tried to count all the tears I’ve shed because of psoriatic arthritis. I’ve cried for the uncertainty of my...

Pain, frustration, anger - all of these impact our ability to be patient with life’s daily struggles. Let’s face it, working around my psoriatic arthritis pain and symptoms often tops...