Personal journeys: 2016

My story started in 2015. I woke one night with shooting pains down my right arm. It was so bad that I paced the floor for hours. No painkillers helped. It left me with numb fingers.

I am a 49 year old man, ex Army,  and have always been very fit and active, keen cyclist (racing mountain bikes and road time trials). I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis in November 2015.

My father was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis about a year ago. I experienced a lot of flaking and itchiness around my scalp, at first I thought it's just an ordinary dandruff, but it wasn't at all.

I have very little psoriasis, just on my scalp after the birth of each of my babies. After the birth of my fourth child in 2004, I started to develop aches and pains, but put this down to having four young children and working as a nurse.

I have suffered with psoriasis and eczema since birth. My psoriasis has flared up and down over the years and it's just something I've learnt to live with. I am now 39.

Well I've had psoriasis for approximately four years now. It started off as a small area on my scalp and stayed there for a year or so, I'd first thought it was dandruff. Over the years it's spread over my back, face, arms, chest, legs  and groin.

There are a number of things, which I often want to explain to people, but don’t...

I know I don’t ‘look sick’ and I’m glad of that but sometimes it would be easier if I did. I might have made it to work (or wherever) today but it wasn’t easy.  People who know me and remark on my strength are a blessing.

My problems with psoriasis arthritis started some 20+ years after a road accident in which I suffered severe head injuries (Glasgow trauma score of 5). I have always suffered from eczema and generally itchy skin including dandruff, from the age of about 14.

I, unlike most, developed arthritis first, then years later the psoriasis came. I have had joint pain for as long as I can remember. I am not confident that all those ‘growing pains’ weren't actually arthritis.