A Young Wife’s Tale

Oh, how far we’ve come in our journey with Psoriatic Arthritis. Remember the awful rheumatologist in New Jersey who wanted to take David off the Humira? He didn’t believe David had psoriatic arthritis. David had a great visit with his old Dallas rheumatologist last week. David and I told the doctor how well David has [...]

Some of the simplest remedies that help him are things like over the counter heat patches, heating pads, and hot baths with epsom salts. Another thing that has helped David is chiropractic care.

I’ve blogged before about the Back 2 Life Machine. It was very helpful when he was flaring so badly the muscles in his back would spasm. You could actually see the muscles in his lower back twitching. The Back 2 Life Machine helped stretch David’s lower back very gently.

At different times David’s rheumatologists have given him injections in his back of things like methotrexate and cortisone. They typically only offered mild relief.
Doctors have prescribed many different medications to help David with his pain. Some of the medications that have given David significant relief are hydrocodone, Lyrica, Flexeril and Cymbalta. There was only one time when David asked a doctor for pain medication, and the doctor didn’t want to (but he’s the horrible rheumatologist who didn’t think David had Psoriatic Arthritis). I convinced him to give David the medicine, and we found a new rheumy ASAP.

The day David was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis we learned several things. One, David has psoriasis. He thought he merely had dandruff. Two, he had Psoriatic Arthritis, which we’d never heard of. David and I both felt pretty good when we left the rheumatologist’s office. We had a name for David’s terrible back pain. The doctor was starting him on medication, sending him for x-rays and a bone scan. The rheumatologist said he’d soon be in remission.

We were so naive. The rheumatologist was overly optimistic. (A year later he was fired.) Here’s what I wish I’d known the day my husband was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis.

1. Remission is not as easy as the doctor makes it sound. David was diagnosed in February 2008. He didn’t go into remission until December 2010. He got much, much worse than he was the day he was diagnosed before he got better.

2. Remission does not mean you’ll be doing everything you were doing before the diagnosis. David still has pain every day. He’ll probably never go back to playing softball, racquetball and wakeboarding. We are extremely grateful that he is doing as well as he is. But it’s not like it was before the diagnosis. Remission does not mean cured.

RA Warrior is hosting the Rheum Blog Carnival #3. The official subject is:

Are rheum patients pressured not to take medical treatment? Have you ever read an article that sounds like it discourages medical treatment for rheumatologic conditions? Whether the alternative offered is Eastern medicine, non-prescription medicines, or dietary changes, or spiritual advice, what would you like to say to anyone who would tell patients to forgo medical treatment?

My answer? It’s not just rheumatology patients. David and I have a relative who has been diagnosed with a type of hereditary stage IV cancer. We have prayed for this person and their spouse often over the past year. I’ve been very concerned, of course, but I literally had this thought: Well, at least no one is going to bother them about the medication. No one would tell a cancer patient that organic food or acupuncture will cure them.

I was wrong. They have had people tell them that an all natural approach will cure cancer.

I have a lot to be thankful for this week.

David’s six month contract with his company here in New Jersey ended Friday, and they told him he will start as a permanent employee on Monday. Although we’d love to be going back to Texas, we are very grateful God has provided David with this employment.