Likely varies from individual to individual (as it does with all ‘flavours’ of autoimmune illness), GFmum.
Don’t know if it’s possible to predict 🔮/ anticipate disease progression (or regression) anywhere along the journey — depends upon too many factors? 🤔
PsA-ers (Nicole, Jennifer, & andyswarbs : healthunlocked.com/cure-art... ) may have some specifics that’ll ring true for your Psoriatic Arthritis experience. 😌 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞
[Perhaps best strategy is to attempt to improve one’s overall health/ well-being as best as possible to allow our body an opportunity to ‘self-correct/ self-heal’ as best it can? 🤔 ]
It's like the length of a piece of string... it all depends! Variations between people seem enormous with any auto-immune disease, so it's no good trying to compare your own progression with someone else's.
Unfortunately we usually only find out the progression when it has done some damage to the joints.
Also depends what you mean by 'progress'? If you mean progress to permanent damage, you can be in a huge amount of pain for a long time, but still have no permanent joint damage. Sadly the reverse can also be true.
I had a bit of damage before finally diagnosed, but then nothing for years and years. And that was despite a long period at the start when just about everything was swollen and painful with fluid sloshing around. which I couldn't believe I'd recover from without damage but I did. And then last year I had a tiny flare and within 3 weeks, before I managed to get to rheumy for steroids, it had nibbled a bit of my toe....
You will over time learn about your own disease, how aggressive it is, what it responds well and badly to and so on. A bit like living with a slightly irascible relative.
Hi. As the others say everyone is different. I have a friend who once on the treatments was back to "normal" immediately. And the treatments nowadays are so much better than in the past so long term prognosis is very good!!
I think when you get diagnosed you read all sorts of stuff. Some is reassuring, some is not. But rest, eat a Mediterranean diet ( according to world health and NRAS) and take the meds and you will soon feelin control of your illness, not the other way round !xx
There’s also lines of thinking migrating from ‘Mediterranean’ to ‘Whole Foods Plant Based’ (WFPB) ( healthunlocked.com/nras/pos... ) as an equally viable option — especially for those for whom ‘Mediterranean’ is less effective (or even problematic), allanah. 😌
Merely another respected & medically ‘vouched for’ option for consideration by individuals interested in researching 🕵️♀️ 🔎 the topic. All done in conjunction with our meds, rheumatological support, familial support, as well as all the other inevitable lifestyle changes that surface & evolve over time that help guide us towards managing the disease well — living a ‘full’ life. 😌 🙏 🍀 🌺 🌞
But Im following more my GP and NRAS advice for now and I am seeing a dietician, who has asked me for my diabetes, to follow the nhs Mediterranean one. I've lost 20kg so far !
Don’t know if you’d be interested in looking at his work & bouncing it off your dietician, GP, etc. for scrutiny (if they’re likewise interested)? Maybe just a ‘supplemental perspective’ to complement the already wonderful results you’re achieving, via ‘Mediterranean’? 🤔
Well done, dear lady, well done!! 👍👍
[Oh, if you ever hit a roadblock 🚧 (or plateau 🏜 ) along the way, have found Dr. Lisle & Dr. Goldhamer’s psychological insights ( healthunlocked.com/nras/pos... ) particularly helpful. If that sort of thing (psychological/ biological pitfalls, etc.) interests you, of course. Merely a thought (to keep in back pocket) if a need should ever arise. 😌 🙏 ]
I think mine started in my early 20's. I'd get fairly mild skin and joint problems. The two years ago I had a bilateral knee operation. I think this triggered a full blown attack. Literally could hardly move. I am 56 and have damaged knees, feet, back and shoulders. Not sure which damage happened when during that time.
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