Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases

This is a poignant picture I found on Facebook today which hits home and finding that some people do not understand the severity of Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases   My inflammatory disease is Psoriatic Spondylitis Arthritis (PsA) which causes inflammation & pain in my knuckles of both of my hands, my right wrist, left knee, both ankles and feet (mostly toes) joints  I also have spondylitis which has started to effect my back & my collar bone area of my chest  I have been lucky so far with damages and limited movement in two of my knuckles in my right hand and wrist 

I was lucky to see a Rheumatologist right within a few months of finding out about the arthritis and the day of seeing him getting the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis but took six months to get diagnosed with the sponditlitis because I was not showing the signs right away   He put me on Methotrexate right away meaning an extra shot once a week which was fine because I was use to shots already with my Diabetes.  After six months he also applied to the government to pay for a  Biological called Humira which is also a shot which I am currently on a shot a week.  I am so lucky to live in British Columbia because it is one of two provinces in Canada who covers the $1500 every two week shot and the pharmaceutical company pays for the other weeks.  If it was not for these shots I would become crippled and probably in a wheel chair because of the spondilitis and arthritis in knees, ankles and feet.  I even take the huge discomfort of the medication as it really stings when giving myself the shot weekly and have learned to use distraction to go through pain.

I also get a lot of help through the Arthritis Centre (Mary Pack) in getting help from a Occupational Thaerapist, Physical Therapist, nurses, social workers, volunteers and much more.  The Physical Therapist gave me a list of exercises to do to strengthen and limit the deformities that can still happen through stretches and giving my ideas of how I can exercise without it being to hard on my joints like swimming, walking & stationary bike riding.  The Occupation Therapist (OT) was extremely helpful last year with a special inserts for shoes & buying proper shoes to walk in, splints for both my hands (daytime & sleeping ones) and finger splints. Plus, the OT helped me in discovering the different purchases I could buy to make my life easier: walking sticks, knives with different handles, bulking up small items (pens, utensils, etc), light plates, special key holder, etc. I still have to do many things for pain management like over the counter pain medications, relaxation, hot-cold packs, hot show and many more

I have learned quite a bit in how to live with Arthritis but its implementing many of these things in my life.  Many of those things can help with my overall physical & mental health and finding that I need to sit down and try to figure out strategies around my chronic illnesses.  At the end of last year (2012) my husband and I went to a Arthritis Management Class which covered many areas that can help me make goals like walking 3 to 4 times a week, stretch every day in the morning or evening, and buy more things that will help me with things around & outside the apartment.  I also plan to go through my Bucked List and prioritize things that will help in the next six month.