Where's our "Moon Shot"?
I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in 2010, after years of differing diagnoses for all the different symptoms I had been experiencing. And when I was finally diagnosed, my rheumy sat down with me and patiently explained to me that, there is no cure for this. Most treatments are only moderately effective, and since not much has been known about this disease for all that long, we don't even know for how long some of these treatments will be effective. For every book or journal written on rheumatoid arthritis, he told me, there is barely a paragraph about psoriatic arthritis. Have patience, he told me. Over ten years later, I'm still hoping for an effective long-term treatment.
Changing treatments once again
Last week I endured, even while on Taltz, the worst flare I have experienced in five years. Fortunately, it is now back to a level that supplementing the Taltz with NSAIDs is tamping it down. But, the decision has been made to once again change my medication, because a flare that severe shouldn't happen on Taltz. I've been on Methotrexate, Methotrexate supplemented with Sulfasalazine, Mobic, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen and Naproxen, cortisone injections, and prednisone for flares, Enbrel, and finally Taltz.
The emotional drain of psoriatic arthritis
We all know the physical pain, the emotional drain that accompanies this disease. The bone-crushing fatigue; the anhedonia and depression; the daily mental fog and cognitive impairment that accompanies a bad flare. And it is as though nobody really even knows about this disease. Many of us are young (ish), and in many cases, physically fit specimens. So it's difficult for people to see us as ill, or suffering from a disabling disease.
A call for psoriatic arthritis awareness
I have told friends and family that I almost rather I had cancer than PsA. Because there are a great many cancers out there that research has found effective treatments and even cures for. And when you tell someone you have cancer, they don't look you up and down, and exclaim, "You don't look sick." Well, where is our cure? Where is our "moon shot"? If you have cancer, you have Lance Armstrong as a spokesperson. Those of us with PSA have Phil Mickelson. Sort of; he's a paid spokesperson for the makers of Enbrel. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Phil's a wonderful guy, and certainly a great golfer. But the unspoken message seems pretty clear. You have to be Lance Freakin' Armstrong to beat cancer. But if you're a slightly pudgy, middle-aged guy who just happens to be really good at golf, you can beat psoriatic arthritis.
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