Updated August 13, 2006

WELCOME!

Greetings, and welcome to the Psoriatic Arthritis homepage. This page is an outgrowth of the e-mail distribution list support group hosted by YahooGroups. Both the e-mail list and the webpage are run by and for PA sufferers, their families and friends. There is no medical authority associated with either the list or the homepage, and none is either claimed or implied. Our Web Resources page lists several medical authorities one may consult, but the e-mail list and this page provide places people can go to for help from people who know what it means to have psoriasis and arthritis.

Please see the toolbar to the left to contact the list owner, the webpage maintainer, or to join the e-mail distribution list. Thank you,

Michelle Atwood Stack, List Editor
Robert Alan Harris, Web Editor
Jack Nicholas, Newsletter Editor

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Introductory Post from the Listowner
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 04:41:46 EDT
From: ctnative@aol.com
Subject: Re: Introduction

Hi fellow list members,

My name is Michelle. I am a 38 year old wife and mother of three (8, 10 & 12). I live in Connecticut. I have had psoriasis since the age of ten, psoriatic arthritis since my teens and Sjogrens Syndrome for the last ten years. I also have vasculitis and have had a TIA and a Pulmonary Embolism. Two of my children have psoriasis already. I am praying that it remains mild and also for no arthritic involvement.

Over the past six years, the PA has been so severe that I have needed treatment with DMARDS such as Neoral, Cyclosporin A, Azulfidine, Methotrexate, Plaquenil, Imuran et al. I have had varying success for varying lengths of time with them alone or in combination. Pain management has been a struggle at times, as has been my ability to handle the extreme fatigue and the life changes I have to make when my health status changes (frequently). With the support of God, my friends and family, as well as cyberfriends who understand, I have been able to adjust fairly well to the uncertainties of autoimmune disease. I am very grateful for just having had a relatively pain free summer with my three children - the first one in five years where I did not need hired help to help me care for my own children. It was wonderful, and we cherished every moment.

Currently, I am about three weeks into a moderate flare of the P, PA and Sjogrens. Fatigue is the most debilitating of the symptoms for me this flare around. Thank goodness, so far the pain has been tylenol manageable (major miracle!)

I am looking forward to a nice relationship with you all on the list,
Sincerely,
Michelle

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The Psoriatic Arthritis Support webpage is generously hosted by
The William Paterson University of New Jersey, 300 Pompton Rd., Wayne NJ, 07470