More than 30 years before diagnosis

In 1990, I was attempting to learn how to rock climb. I took a few minor, 6ft falls but landed correctly on my feet with bent knees. Within 10 minutes of the third "landing," my journey with chronic pain from inflammation and degeneration began and has never gone away.

Looking back now, it should have been obvious that something was off. I had already had one bout of postpartum thyroiditis, an AI disease, had been dealing with tendonopathy for a few years, had mild, scalp psoriasis, and had family members with severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.

It wasn't until 2017 that my symptoms really took a turn for the worse. By 2018, I was essentially homebound except for medical appointments.

In early 2022, I reached my lowest point. I kept saying that all the symptoms I was having could not just be my back issues. But no one was hearing me, so I gave up and started seeing a therapist.

A clue to an autoimmune disease diagnosis

Right about this time I went to see my eye doctor for my yearly eye exam. I have severe dry eye that requires prescription medication. I had only seen him once the year before after my regular doctor moved to a different practice.

He said something I had never heard before. He thought my severe dry eye was autoimmune. I had never heard of a disease that would cause dry eye, so when I got home, I looked up autoimmune diseases that cause dry eye. As I read the list of symptoms for Sjogren's a lightbulb went off and I immediately made an appointment with my PCP.

I told him that I thought I had Sjogren's and could he run an ANA test to see if I was autoimmune.

Well, to say I was stunned when I received the results is an understatement. I maxed out the highest level the lab was able to test too. I was autoimmune. No ifs, ands, or buts autoimmune.

Visiting a rheumatologist

A few weeks later, I was at the rheumatologist's office going over my symptoms. He looked at my nails, asked pointed questions, checked this and that, wanted to know about my family medical complaints and then gave me his opinion: yes for Sjogren's, but we had to do another test, and psoriatic arthritis.

I was surprised when he said PsA because I have always only had mild psoriasis behind my ears and a couple of patches on the back of scalp. I thought people like my mom, who has psoriasis in multiple places, were the only ones who developed PsA. Ignorance is bliss?

There needs to be more psoriatic arthritis awareness

Flash forward to now, and I have learned so much. I'm on a DMARD and it has completely changed my life. I feel like I have some measure of control over my body for the first time.

No one should have to suffer for 32 years like I did. The tendonopathy, uveitis, crippling fatigue, swollen joints. So much damage was done to my joints and tendons that I will never work again.

There needs to be more patient and medical professional education. Posters in family practices. Celebrity spokespersons.

This is my story. I know I'm not the only one.