The Girl With Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a complex, whole-body disease. Yet somehow, something as simple as water has had a significant positive effect on my health. There’s nothing simple about treating psoriatic arthritis (PsA). I wish it were as easy as taking a few pills and moving on with my life. PsA is a whole-body disease and has touched every part of my life. So much goes into treating it: medication, diet, exercise, topicals, lifestyle adjustments and accommodations, and so much more. But there’s one simple thing that has helped me a lot through the years: water. Water has had a positive effect on my life and has become essential to my treatment plan.  Read the full article at Bezzy PsA.

 Heel pain from plantar fasciitis is common for people with PsA. Through years of off-and-on flares, I discovered a few methods to help prevent pain or take the edge off during the worst of it. Some mornings, I wake up feeling like I jumped up and down on concrete all night. My heels feel swollen and throb like crazy. It’s unbelievably painful and makes getting out of bed hard. When most people think of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), they think of swollen and painful body parts like hips, knees, and fingers. Why on earth would your heels hurt? Read the full article at Bezzy PsA.

(Resharing this article from 2022- it's such an important topic!) People with psoriatic arthritis often face significant delays in diagnosis. Once you get that diagnosis from a rheumatologist, it's tempting to stay with them for the long haul. And sometimes, it's a great decision to stick around. But a bad or even "meh" patient-doctor relationship can hurt your care. As a patient, you deserve to feel respected, heard, and know you're in the best hands. But if you dread seeing your doctor and feel like you're no longer receiving the best care, it's okay to find a new physician. Read the full article on psoriatic-arthritis.com.

 When my jaw flared, I quickly became tired of soft food, sleeping in new positions, and feeling sore all over. It was hard to get through the day. A long time ago, the thought of my psoriatic arthritis (PsA) attacking my jaw was my worst nightmare. I have many family members who have struggled with jaw pain for one reason or another, and it scared me to death. Unfortunately, my jaw started to show evidence of active arthritis as a teenager. Read the full article at Bezzy PsA

 Do you ever feel like you live in a world not built for you? I do. Recently, I've felt this way about a hefty door on my commute. It takes a lot of force to open and immediately swings shut; I find it painful and tiring to handle. Others have complained and had a handyman look at it, but it's remained in this state for months... Click here to read the full article at Psoriatic-Arthritis.com.

 When you have PsA, it can take trial and error to make the office environment work for you. Here are my tips for staying comfortable and focused. I come from a family of tradespeople, nurses, and people in other professions that keep you on your feet. So, as you can imagine, I try to keep it to myself just how exhausted I am when I come home from my office job. Due to my juvenile-onset psoriatic arthritis (PsA), I initially picked an office-oriented career track. I also went to a vocational high school, where I tried hands-on careers and quickly found I had difficulty handling labor. Both of those factors sealed my fate. Read the full article at Bezzy PsA.

 Living with a hidden disability can be isolating and lonely. Here’s how I address the challenges while finding support and setting boundaries. Have you ever been in a room full of people yet felt alone? I have many times. I remember being at a birthday party during a horrible summer downpour. My psoriatic arthritis (PsA) was flaring at the time, but the humidity and low pressure system made things worse. I was trying to keep it together, but I knew I came off as rather anti-social. I felt separated from all the people in the room, my mind drifting from pain and only occasionally picking up on the conversation being had right in front of me. And the worst part? There wasn’t anyone there who I felt comfortable to ask for help. Read the full article at Bezzy PsA.