Life begins at 40 or 50 if you have Psoriasis and P/a.

[Judi143]

Hi everyone my Psoriasis is really bad at the moment sore and cracking my P/A is bad as well, I could not stand the pain and stiffness of my body I have gone 3 weeks in pain and know rest from my flare up of my Psoriasis. I have started getting it on my face just under my eye im butting cream on it in the hope it doesn't spread anymore, anyway I had a steroid injection in my bum for the pain of having P/A and by the time I got back to my car my pain in my body was almost gone. Brilliant you might think. But having the injection of steroid makes your Psoriasis flare more and sends your blood sugar up as I also have Diabetes t2, but the injection only lasts for about 6/8 weeks but at least I feel normal within that time,

happier, stronger,sleeping,eating,having a life.

When I was growing up my thought's of my life were totally different. I had my 3 kids I was a single parent (got married twice, got divorced twice) both were called Paul LOL so im staying single now lol. So there I was thinking to myself LIFE begins at 40? but it was at the age of 50 lol. Then i'm thinking right it's my turn to have a life. Then within 4 months of my son moving out I was diagnosed with P/A and FM so that's my life.

Does this sound familiar to anyone.

Thanks for reading my lifes story. xx

[Rosedail]

Hello: I’m so sorry you have had to go through all that pain! And I hope the next 6-8 weeks will go well AND beyond!!!

What are your thoughts on the biologic meds (Humira, Embrel, etc)??? My psoriasis and pa are not yet bad enough to go that expensive route, and I hate to be dependent on any meds, but I will if it gets much worse. As pa is degenerative, my Rheumatologist is concerned that I am waiting too long. For now, and for the last 43 years ( I am 56) I have been lucky to “manage” psoriasis through diet, rare rounds of mild light therapy, some cortisone and oatmeal creams, tar based shampoo and attempts at general wellness and stress management. I manage the pa with ibuprofen.

I learned how much diet and stress effect me early when I was a poor college student and lived in Ireland and while there much of my diet consisted of chocolate, soda bread and warm coke! A physician gave me a cortisone cream that was so strong it seemed great at first but ultimately, as you point out, the psoriasis came back with a vengeance. I headed home to the states with “wall to wall” psoriasis all over my back and scalp and with a feeling of shame. I ended up in Arizona and a dermatologist helped me get things back to a manageable level with some light therapy.

Now in my 50s I take inspiration from a movement of young people who simply refuse to let their psoriasis cause them any shame. They wear the clothes they want without trying to cover up. I truly admire them as I think that attitude is the best way to live fully no matter one’s disease or age. Not always easy to have people look at you but I try to take the approach of “good teaching opportunity” if I get comments or questions. Also, the older I get the more I realize that everyone has “something”. At the moment I am traveling with people much older than I, and I am inspired by how they are getting out every day with canes and special shoes, walkers and wheel chairs, and no doubt even adult diapers!!! It’s reminding me “No excuses to get the heck out there!”

Anyway, Just as my son was moving out, ( and later he moved back in) I was diagnosed with PMR...another autoimmune disease that causes your muscles to lock up. I really didn’t think it was fair!!!!!☹️ Why did I get that DNA and not my siblings? so I can truly relate to your feelings now. I had to be on cortisone for 2 years. And sometimes you just have a shitty day and then you feel guilty for feeling shitty!!! But I also learned that some folks had it far worse than I did and life goes on. One aspect of life that I really try and look at every day, if I remember, is to ask myself a series of questions: “Am I getting in my own way? Am I subconsciously taking care of other people too much to the extent that I am using it as an excuse to not take care of my own stuff or to secretly feel sorry for myself? Am I using my role as “mother” or my professional roles of taking care of clients, as an excuse?” Since the answer was sometimes “Ok. Yes.” I am trying to get better at spending my time in what is “true for Me” and not on the expectations, or what I think are the expectations, of others. So...that’s my deal for now. Remind myself that my son is an adult as are all my siblings😊

One thing that I thought I would share with you is the need to celebrate and reward yourself. I hope you reward yourself for everything you have gotten through in life...and do that every week! Is there something that would feel indulgent and wonderful? Why don’t you go for it!!! A spa day? A silly new outfit that you would never normally buy? Travel to a new place...like the Dead Sea which is supposed to be awesome for psoriasis. Taking a class in something you always wanted to learn? Life begins again and again😊 Best wishes to you!!!

[Hidden]

Hi Judi,

Sorry you’re having a tough time. Rosedail has already given great advice so all I have to say is that ‘you have a great life!’. You have married twice, divorced twice, have managed to take care of 3 kids! That’s awesome. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans, right? You are having a flare-up but that’s not going to happen all the time. Once you find suitable meds and avoid triggers you will manage to control your symptoms and you will get better quality of life.

Life is not about fairness. It’s a lottery. Once you are in the game you have to play it. For some twisted reason, sometimes diseases remind us that we have to live in the present and find happiness in the small things instead of planning for the future.

I am waiting for a Fibromyalgia diagnosis. Meanwhile I have to deal with my Asperger’s, EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome), menopause, osteoarthritis, migraines and peripheral neuropathy (burning skin). I had a flare-up 11 years ago that had been diagnosed as Psoriasis and now I have arthritis that has PsA and osteoarthritis features.

I haven’t married and don’t have kids. I have to take care of my 90 year old father. So, you see, we’re all in the game, no matter what.

What would you like to be doing right now if you didn’t have Psoriasis and PsA?

Chinchi 💕🤗

[jax553]

Hi, Judi143, Yes that is very familiar, I was having the worst pain in my feet like something was gnawing on my ankle bones, I had 1 spot on my hand and had dug it out so it is now a crater, I went to see the Rheumatologist, who looked at my hand and said what is that, I told him oh not much just put a plaster on it, His reply was, hang on I need a colleague to take a look, which they both did, and after a bit of umming and ahhing got back to me and stated I had Pustular psoriasis, also called pustulosis, Never had anything. was referred to a Dermatologist, and Bingo, it went nuts from then, No matter how many meds how much cream and even more treatment which by the way made it worse, And at no time was I told of the complications of this disease, and the very fact that this disease causes so many other diseases, and the fact that it is Rare, Left me angry upset and fed up with all doctors, I now have Scoliosis in my Spine, Osteoarthritis hands knees hips feet and Psoriatic Arthritis as well, I am being told there is no way you can have a knee replacement you are an infection risk, that took the Biscuit. No wonder I am so angry.