Sue's Story
Sue explains how her psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have impacted her life and her relationships. She describes daunting trips to the hairdressers, pregnancy with psoriasis and eventually finding a successful treatment.
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I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at the age of 29. Although looking back I’ve had it all my life. I was always at the doctors with aches and pains, sprained tendons and breaks. I was very sporty as a child, and I think this actually helped me with the pain, although it also masked the arthritis.
When I was pregnant with my first child, I developed pustular arthritis and my husband wouldn’t go near me. That was to become the story of my life. He wouldn’t help me attend doctors or hospital appointments. I did all that alone.
When my father died, the psoriasis came out in force. My skin was a mess, especially my scalp. I couldn’t wear black for fear of people thinking I had dandruff. A hairdresser actually tried scraping it all off saying that I hadn’t rinsed properly. After intense therapy at Amersham hospital, I now have it under control and now use a shampoo regularly to control it.
Four years ago I became so ill with the arthritis I couldn’t walk and went to the Rheumatologist in desperation. I was put on Methotrexate and, after a while trial varying amounts, I am now settled on 20 mg a week by injection.
So four years on, and now 55, I am managing my psoriasis and my psoriatic arthritis and am able to do more and have restarted the Couch to 5K! How happy this makes me is immeasurable.
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