Introductions

Hi, My name is Shannon. I have started this Blog to keep a public journal about my thoughts and experiences regarding my health. I welcome comments, suggestions and information, but please be polite. I am doing this to help my mental health, not destroy it. I am really new at this so i welcome any corrections to my technical blog issues as well. I already know i cannot spell and will use spell check when I remember lol.

I have psoriatic arthritis, among other things. I was diagnosed when I was 19. I am now 30. At first, I was like "OK, arthritis, no big deal. I will take Tylenol." Well, to everyone else out there living with arthritis, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I minimized the severity of this disease like so many people do.

At first it was just my toes that hurt. They felt like someone took a sledge hammer to them. I did not realize it was the disease, I thought it was because I worked on my feet for a living. I thought it was because I did not have shoes with enough support. I was put on Celebrex and Methotrexate. It worked for a while. I also found a job where I did not spend so much time on my feet.

The Celebrex and Methotrexate started to not be as effective as it once was and I was given a numerous amounts of other pills to no avail. Then I started with the TNF Blocker medicines.

The first was remicade, it was wonderful for me. All my pain went away, and my skin cleared up almost overnight. (i had severe psoriatic skin lesions all over my body) I was on it for 5 years. I had some issues with my new insurance covering it, and it had started to not have as great of results anymore. My Dr said I was experiencing "dose creep". We switched to humeria. I did not have much luck with that one. It did not work that great for me, and I was always sick, and having to stop it so I would not get a bad infection.

After almost a year of humeria, we changed to Enbrel. I have not had much luck with that one either. I get real sick after each injection, although I do notice a decrease in pain I cannot get out of bed because of the excruciating headaches and nausea.

I actually go back to the rhumatologist today to see what our next plan is going to be. I would like to try and go back on the remicade maybe at a higher dose. I have new insurance now and It should be covered now. The Arthritis is no longer in just my toes, the past few years I have found it is in my ankles, my wrists, fingers, knees and back.

I will write soon as to what happens at the Dr tomorrow. It is a long drive for me, and I am real tired after those trips they take allot out of me, so I will write as soon as I can.

Thank you for your interest. Any questions one may have that will not give my location to a serial killer, I will do my best to answer.