Stress for a PsA flare

About 5 years ago, I had a really rough year. I was a single mom living check to check. I helped provide end-of-life care for a very dear loved one. My sister had a high-risk pregnancy and my niece was not expected to live long after birth. We are fortunate that she is alive and healthy, but was born severely disabled. I worked in a special needs classroom with children that had some pretty aggressive behaviors. I was injured at work regularly.

Experiencing new pain

One day, my right foot became inflamed. Then my left knee. Then my back. Then my right knee. The pain was nearly unbearable. Regardless of the pain and swelling, I limped into my classroom every day, because I was committed to my students, and we needed my income to make ends meet.

One day, when I tried to get out of bed, my legs wouldn't hold me up. It scared my son, who was only about 6 at the time. He cried. That's when I finally broke down and saw a doctor. The bills soon followed. My primary sent me to an orthopedic doctor, who sent me to a podiatrist. All 3 ordered pricey diagnostic tests. The only health care plan I could afford had a sky-high deductible. So I stopped going to the doctor. And prayed that what I had wouldn't kill me.

Finding some answers

I made some dietary changes, soon after the inflammation went down. It turns out, as I would discover years later (after FINALLY being seen by a rheumatologist), that it was my first flare-up. When I asked the rheumatologist why it happened, she said stress can trigger it.

It's under control now, but the effects of that first flare-up linger (I've had only minor flare-ups since). I'm so tired all the time... I'd like to be energetic for my son. My foot is disfigured. I will never run another half marathon (running used to be my thing). I've gained weight. I still have medical bills in collections. Regardless, I'm grateful to be relatively pain-free.