Hand to hand is holy palmer's kiss
(Apologies to those who hate that play)
This entry is deliberately made public. Please feel free to pass it on to those who you feel might need or want to be informed.
I had a dermatologist appointment today, to find out why my psoriasis has suddenly gotten so bad. I figured stress of moving across the country, new natural environment, less sunlight, etc.
Turns out that there is such a thing as psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disorder not dissimilar (though not the same as) rheumatoid arthritis. About 30% of people who have psoriasis have that. While I don't have all of the usual symptoms to indicate PA, I have some, and enough that the dermatologist I saw thinks it's a diagnosis worth testing for. Things like pain and stiffness in joints, psoriasis that gets worse or spreads after minor trauma (scraped knee, cat bite, etc.), digestive issues.... Gee, that sounds familiar.
Sadly, there is no yes/no test for PA. It's something you diagnose by ruling out. One way is to try some drugs and see if they help my joints. Those drugs happen to be a sort of chemotherapy drug that comes with some nasty side effects, including suppressing the immune system.
Don't panic!
If chemotherapy involves levels akin to just shy of enough morphine to kill you, I'm taking the equivalent of a couple of aspirin a few times a day. There are side effects, yes, and I may wind up looking pretty sick for a bit, but this will be for a limited time. If this plus some tests saya I have PA (or RA, for that matter), there are better drugs I will transition to.
What this means for my friends and loved ones is that I will be immunosuppressed for the next 4-8 weeks. I will probably avoid kissing on the mouth, and may have other limitations. I need you to avoid exposing me to colds, flu, con crud, or whatever other plague might be going around. I'll post when I start taking the meds next week as a reminder, and will let you know when that prohibition stops.
Please understand that if I hold you at arm's length for a while, that is only in deference to my health. I will still be out and about, I will still visit unless your household all has some sort of bug, and I still want hugs and cuddles. This may wind up being a bit more serious and chronic problem than I thought it was, but there is a wealth of treatment options and it is unlikely to slow me down for very long. The upshot is that I get a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and don't have to have a lot of unnecessary surgery. I'll still be doing the nerve conduction tests next month, but this may well be the source of my joint pain.
So think good thoughts for me, don't sneeze on me if you can help it, and I'll keep you posted.
This entry is deliberately made public. Please feel free to pass it on to those who you feel might need or want to be informed.
I had a dermatologist appointment today, to find out why my psoriasis has suddenly gotten so bad. I figured stress of moving across the country, new natural environment, less sunlight, etc.
Turns out that there is such a thing as psoriatic arthritis, an autoimmune disorder not dissimilar (though not the same as) rheumatoid arthritis. About 30% of people who have psoriasis have that. While I don't have all of the usual symptoms to indicate PA, I have some, and enough that the dermatologist I saw thinks it's a diagnosis worth testing for. Things like pain and stiffness in joints, psoriasis that gets worse or spreads after minor trauma (scraped knee, cat bite, etc.), digestive issues.... Gee, that sounds familiar.
Sadly, there is no yes/no test for PA. It's something you diagnose by ruling out. One way is to try some drugs and see if they help my joints. Those drugs happen to be a sort of chemotherapy drug that comes with some nasty side effects, including suppressing the immune system.
Don't panic!
If chemotherapy involves levels akin to just shy of enough morphine to kill you, I'm taking the equivalent of a couple of aspirin a few times a day. There are side effects, yes, and I may wind up looking pretty sick for a bit, but this will be for a limited time. If this plus some tests saya I have PA (or RA, for that matter), there are better drugs I will transition to.
What this means for my friends and loved ones is that I will be immunosuppressed for the next 4-8 weeks. I will probably avoid kissing on the mouth, and may have other limitations. I need you to avoid exposing me to colds, flu, con crud, or whatever other plague might be going around. I'll post when I start taking the meds next week as a reminder, and will let you know when that prohibition stops.
Please understand that if I hold you at arm's length for a while, that is only in deference to my health. I will still be out and about, I will still visit unless your household all has some sort of bug, and I still want hugs and cuddles. This may wind up being a bit more serious and chronic problem than I thought it was, but there is a wealth of treatment options and it is unlikely to slow me down for very long. The upshot is that I get a diagnosis, a treatment plan, and don't have to have a lot of unnecessary surgery. I'll still be doing the nerve conduction tests next month, but this may well be the source of my joint pain.
So think good thoughts for me, don't sneeze on me if you can help it, and I'll keep you posted.