THE Diagnosis

It's difficult to know that your whole body hurts and nobody believes you. Doctors, friends, and family all seem to think you are exaggerating and being dramatic about how you feel.

My first signs and symptoms of PsA

I used to play racketball, ski, skate, play basketball, and dance, in my 20's, 30's, 40's, and even into my 50's. I also worked full time, went to college full time, and raised 3 children as a single (divorced) mom. One of my jobs was carrying a 35-pound (when empty!) leather mailbag for blocks and blocks of delivering mail (easily 70 pounds with mail in it). And my back started killing me.

Around that same time, I kept developing iritis, a disease of the eye. It never occurred to me, or the doctors treating me, that these could be signs of arthritis, specifically psoriatic arthritis.

Finally getting diagnosed

Now I'm 82 years old and have just been diagnosed with it, far too late to stop the devastation going on inside my body. Now it's not just pain in my back, but it feels like pain in every bone, joint, tendon, and ligament. And, it's a racking pain. I'm glad to find out what the pain culprit is and look forward to starting treatment for it. And I cry that it wasn't diagnosed in time to save me all of this horrible, relentless pain.

Desire to connect with others living with PsA who understand

I want to join an online group of those with this disease and talk and listen to what it's like for others experiencing this. I don't want to feel depressed and in so much pain and alone. I'm still very much alive and want to talk with others that are going through the same things that I am. How do I connect with others with psoriatic arthritis?