Hope everybody's doing OK.
I've been on Cosentyx for 9 months now and it'll take a very persuasive consultant to get me to ever agree to stop taking it. I've never had a medication that I felt so positive about (usual side effects include puking up, no positive effect or, best of all, being allergic to it immediately or developing an allergy to it during the course of taking it glares at all anti inflammatories and Humira ) apart from steroid pulses, which are brilliant, but have to be treated with a healthy respect.
I've had a big flare of Psoriasis over early Spring - scalp, inverse, feet, arms, torso, hips arsecrack and the GP was quite happy to take my word for it over the phone after I said I'd used Hibiscrub in the bath to make sure it wasn't a fungal infection before requesting an appointment. Which was good, as I didn't fancy sending him photos of my huge backside. He prescribed 2 strong steroid ointments and one strong steroid lotion, so I spent February to mid April being significantly more flammable than normal humans. But it's definitely much better now.
I've got ongoing tendinosis around my right hip, left ankle (not just the Achilles) and multiple sites of bursitis due to not being treated effectively for 45 years but now the actual joints themselves are behaving relatively well, it's time for the EDS to shine through. I'm having physio once a month, will qualify for hydrotherapy once I've lost a stone, as they've reduced the weight limit for emergency evacuation/lifting in case of passing out since Covid and pick up my fancy custom orthotics from the hospital next week.
I've had telephone appointments with the consultant several times and they work quite well, as she's used to my being able to say 'well, there's a lot of sacroiliac joint pain right now, my left peroneus brevis is playing up and the fifth metatarsal feels like a teenager has stomped across it with a pair of Doc Martens on, but I'm working on proprioception and activation of the gluteus medis, but it's very sore and I don't think it's necessarily iliotibital band syndrome, it's more greater trochanteric pain...'
Once I've got the orthotics, I'm off to the running shop for some new shoes and, the following day, I've got my first day in a gym for a couple of years - I desperately need to strengthen and stabilise my joints now they're not so swollen and locked up. I rely mostly upon the rowing machine and weight machines for safe, controlled movements. I'm slightly put out that DP, despite knowing I am an utter gym snob, has taken it upon himself to pay for membership at the cheapest, most basic gym in town because there's no contract and it's under £20 a month - but I'll give it until either I've seen an improvement enough to start being a total princess - or he gets put off by the utter cheapness - and agrees to pay for the fancy pants gym and pool that is literally 50 yards away from this bare bones one.
We've started going out and walking/jogging round a local park twice a week - I've been working on changing my gait to a forefoot strike to reduce the forces exerted on my lower body and so far, I've managed 30 minutes of walk - trot really slowly - walk again. Which feels really good compared to not being able to hold a mug or put my own socks on.
Anyhow, wittering on as I am, I wanted to say that getting through the initial hoops for diagnosis can get you to a position where you're actually able to consider doing physical stuff for practicality and pleasure, rather than just dreaming of being able to get dressed by yourself. I've even had some mornings where I've woken up and thought 'What? What is this? What's different? Oh. NOTHING IS HURTING'.
It might only last for a couple of minutes. But, still. Sometimes, NOTHING HURTS.