Comments on: Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/ Bringing information & encouragement to fight RA Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:28:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-54514 Kelly Young Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:23:25 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-54514 Thanks, Deb. I have heard from a few patients who say they have both and your symptoms sure seemed to make the diagnosis clear. Some places I read that it's not possible to have both diseases - I'd sure like to know what the genes look like! Good luck with your treatment. :) Thanks, Deb. I have heard from a few patients who say they have both and your symptoms sure seemed to make the diagnosis clear. Some places I read that it’s not possible to have both diseases – I’d sure like to know what the genes look like! Good luck with your treatment. :)

]]> By: Deb Carlson http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-54505 Deb Carlson Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:50:37 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-54505 I have both PsA and RA- diagnosed 2 yrs apart. My RA was finally diagnosed after I kept telling my GP that my Grandmother, aunts and father all had had RA. I had nodules on my fingers- which he decided were "cysts". So he sent me to have hand surgery to remove the "cysts". The hand specialist said he doubted that it was cysts- but he would go in and see what he could find. He met me after surgery and told me to have my doctor refer me to a rheumatologist ASAP- that I had RA. Two years later, my "rhummy" was looking over my hands and noticed my fingernails had these white marks and my finger tips were swollen and red. She asked if I had been breaking out in rashes anywhere and I told her I had been. After a trip to a dermatologist- I found I had PsA also. When visiting with him, I mentioned that my mom had had problems with what she called "hives", that she always had several pain in her neck and back & also had had nail problems & her skin and joints close to the nail bed would swell and became very red and sore. So, I guess being the oldest of my siblings- I was "blessed" with both RA and PsA from my parents. :-) I personally can tell if it is my RA or PsA flaring. My PsA attacks my neck and spine. I have a few bulging disks- the one in my neck swells enough to barely touch the spinal cord and shoots pains into my head and down my arms. With the RA my wrists, ankles, elbows and hands will flare & my lungs, eyes and heart have been effected with the RA. Honestly, I have been blessed with an awesome "rhummy" for a little over 7 yrs. She started me w/ MTX and Remicade for the first 2 yrs. and now I am on remicade only for both RA and PsA. I do not worry about side effects- my life is SO much more manageable than it was without the treatments. She recently said she might have to start me back onto MTX and truthfully I do not worry about that either. I truly was blessed to born at such a time as this! The treatments they have now compared to what my grandmother and family were on is like day and night. At end of my grandmother's life- she could not walk and screamed and cried so hard that her neighbors in the apartments she lived in would call us- they were so sad for her. Thank you all for this website. When I first was diagnosed, the horror stories I read on the net about MTX and other treatments were frightening. Frankly, my co workers ask how I do it- working full time & raising our 10 yr old grandson. I tell them I am blessed to go to a clinic every 5 weeks and witness others who have pain and issues with their disease that are so much worse than me- it puts it all in perspective. Again- much thanks to you for this forum. :-) Deb I have both PsA and RA- diagnosed 2 yrs apart. My RA was finally diagnosed after I kept telling my GP that my Grandmother, aunts and father all had had RA. I had nodules on my fingers- which he decided were “cysts”. So he sent me to have hand surgery to remove the “cysts”. The hand specialist said he doubted that it was cysts- but he would go in and see what he could find. He met me after surgery and told me to have my doctor refer me to a rheumatologist ASAP- that I had RA.
Two years later, my “rhummy” was looking over my hands and noticed my fingernails had these white marks and my finger tips were swollen and red. She asked if I had been breaking out in rashes anywhere and I told her I had been. After a trip to a dermatologist- I found I had PsA also. When visiting with him, I mentioned that my mom had had problems with what she called “hives”, that she always had several pain in her neck and back & also had had nail problems & her skin and joints close to the nail bed would swell and became very red and sore. So, I guess being the oldest of my siblings- I was “blessed” with both RA and PsA from my parents. :-)
I personally can tell if it is my RA or PsA flaring. My PsA attacks my neck and spine. I have a few bulging disks- the one in my neck swells enough to barely touch the spinal cord and shoots pains into my head and down my arms. With the RA my wrists, ankles, elbows and hands will flare & my lungs, eyes and heart have been effected with the RA.
Honestly, I have been blessed with an awesome “rhummy” for a little over 7 yrs. She started me w/ MTX and Remicade for the first 2 yrs. and now I am on remicade only for both RA and PsA. I do not worry about side effects- my life is SO much more manageable than it was without the treatments. She recently said she might have to start me back onto MTX and truthfully I do not worry about that either.
I truly was blessed to born at such a time as this! The treatments they have now compared to what my grandmother and family were on is like day and night. At end of my grandmother’s life- she could not walk and screamed and cried so hard that her neighbors in the apartments she lived in would call us- they were so sad for her.
Thank you all for this website. When I first was diagnosed, the horror stories I read on the net about MTX and other treatments were frightening. Frankly, my co workers ask how I do it- working full time & raising our 10 yr old grandson. I tell them I am blessed to go to a clinic every 5 weeks and witness others who have pain and issues with their disease that are so much worse than me- it puts it all in perspective.
Again- much thanks to you for this forum. :-)

Deb

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-53186 Kelly Young Tue, 01 Feb 2011 02:39:08 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-53186 Lisaannamae, I think that they consider PsA and RA to be separate diseases because PsA is a spondarthropathy so it attacks the joints in a different way. The RA also tends to be aggressive on the heart and lungs and have a higher mortality rate. Sometimes, they can be hard to tell apart. I've met a few patients with a diagnosis of both, but I've also read that a patient has to have one or the other. I'll check the links as soon as I can. Sometimes people change their addresses online & don't forward them properly. Lisaannamae,
I think that they consider PsA and RA to be separate diseases because PsA is a spondarthropathy so it attacks the joints in a different way. The RA also tends to be aggressive on the heart and lungs and have a higher mortality rate. Sometimes, they can be hard to tell apart. I’ve met a few patients with a diagnosis of both, but I’ve also read that a patient has to have one or the other. I’ll check the links as soon as I can. Sometimes people change their addresses online & don’t forward them properly.

]]> By: lisaannamae http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-53088 lisaannamae Mon, 31 Jan 2011 13:18:50 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-53088 Some of the links do not work. So the major differance between PsA and RA is skin involvement and nodules? Some of the links do not work. So the major differance between PsA and RA is skin involvement and nodules?

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-51828 Kelly Young Sun, 23 Jan 2011 22:00:42 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-51828 Hi Mary. I'm glad you found the site. Yes, most people don't get it, as you say. But I hope we can change that. :) Hi Mary. I’m glad you found the site. Yes, most people don’t get it, as you say. But I hope we can change that. :)

]]> By: Mary Murdock http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-51739 Mary Murdock Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:42:47 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-51739 People can be very unusual in their response to someone that has a psoriatic break out. I suffer from both Psoriasis, PA and RA, and your are so correct. Not only do we have to deal with the disease, our own emotional aspects but to have people treat you different, and they do, causes only more negative aspects. I for the most part am able to keep my head above, but sometimes it is hard. People can be very unusual in their response to someone that has a psoriatic break out. I suffer from both Psoriasis, PA and RA, and your are so correct. Not only do we have to deal with the disease, our own emotional aspects but to have people treat you different, and they do, causes only more negative aspects. I for the most part am able to keep my head above, but sometimes it is hard.

]]> By: Mary Murdock http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-51737 Mary Murdock Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:36:43 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-51737 I have just found your site and to be honest what a wealth of information I have found. I was diagnosed with PA many years ago and it has taken it's progression and toll however over the past several years the PA has "morphed" into RA. I have tested positive for the RA markers and that form of arthritis is taking over. My hands have permanent joint damage and on any given day you don't know which joint is going to become inflammed or hurt the worst. I am fortunate that I am able to work and function, however my activity levels are somewhat deminshed due to the pain and immobility. I typically maintain a very positive attitude but there are some days when I just don't want to do it anymore. And having the knowledge that I will never have 100 % physical capacity is rather daunting at times. Having someone to discuss this with not necessarily from the medical standpoint but from the supportive. For someone that can understand what life is like to have this condition would I think be very liberating. Most people don't get it. I have just found your site and to be honest what a wealth of information I have found. I was diagnosed with PA many years ago and it has taken it’s progression and toll however over the past several years the PA has “morphed” into RA. I have tested positive for the RA markers and that form of arthritis is taking over. My hands have permanent joint damage and on any given day you don’t know which joint is going to become inflammed or hurt the worst. I am fortunate that I am able to work and function, however my activity levels are somewhat deminshed due to the pain and immobility. I typically maintain a very positive attitude but there are some days when I just don’t want to do it anymore. And having the knowledge that I will never have 100 % physical capacity is rather daunting at times.

Having someone to discuss this with not necessarily from the medical standpoint but from the supportive. For someone that can understand what life is like to have this condition would I think be very liberating. Most people don’t get it.

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-48598 Kelly Young Wed, 05 Jan 2011 03:42:12 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-48598 I'll look Judi. If websites I link to change their address, it's hard to track that down. Thank you for your kind comments. Please give my love to your daughter. We have to stick together like you say. I’ll look Judi. If websites I link to change their address, it’s hard to track that down.
Thank you for your kind comments. Please give my love to your daughter. We have to stick together like you say.

]]> By: Judi http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-47736 Judi Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:55:56 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-47736 Goodmorning Kelly...Was checking out your slideshow and i loved it! You work so hard for us! Since i have RA and my daughter has PA i wanted to look at the Shocking Psoriosis Images...Guess what? It kept taking me to a web hosting page...Just wanted to share that with you...I have seen the psoriosis on my daughter...her head covered in it..her arms etc...it hurts a mother so much! My mother keeps saying she is sorry for giving me RA! As if she had a hand in it...But now i find myself saying that to my beautiful daughter! When u see your child covered in it it breaks my heart!..She goes on to say which joints hurt that day...And i look at her and wonder if its the truth!!! Since ive had RA since i was 8 i thought she couldnt be hurting...why do i do that when i want so badly for people to believe me! Well i have stopped denying her...i again went into a different subject! I do that alot!...Thanks again Kelly u really work so hard and im so gratefull for this ! Thank you :rotfl: Goodmorning Kelly…Was checking out your slideshow and i loved it! You work so hard for us! Since i have RA and my daughter has PA i wanted to look at the Shocking Psoriosis Images…Guess what? It kept taking me to a web hosting page…Just wanted to share that with you…I have seen the psoriosis on my daughter…her head covered in it..her arms etc…it hurts a mother so much! My mother keeps saying she is sorry for giving me RA! As if she had a hand in it…But now i find myself saying that to my beautiful daughter! When u see your child covered in it it breaks my heart!..She goes on to say which joints hurt that day…And i look at her and wonder if its the truth!!! Since ive had RA since i was 8 i thought she couldnt be hurting…why do i do that when i want so badly for people to believe me! Well i have stopped denying her…i again went into a different subject! I do that alot!…Thanks again Kelly u really work so hard and im so gratefull for this ! Thank you :rotfl:

]]> By: Kelly Young http://rawarrior.com/psoriatic-arthritis-rheumatoid-arthritis/comment-page-1/#comment-37412 Kelly Young Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:36:33 +0000 http://rawarrior.com/?p=1028#comment-37412 Honestly, we do need each other. We will get better results of support & a movement if we can all stick together too. Plus I like to hear from you. :heart: Honestly, we do need each other. We will get better results of support & a movement if we can all stick together too. Plus I like to hear from you. :heart:

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