...just starting to deal

I am 24 years old and I have Psoriatic Arthritis.

I do not talk about my disease (and calling it a disease, really, my disease, is a huge step for me), and when I do I find most people do not know or understand what it is. This does not surprise me because it is not a common disease, and it is very very uncommon for someone my age to have it. I should first introduce what Psoriatic Arthritis is;

"Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints of children and adults with psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes patches of thick, red skin to form on certain areas of your body. Not everyone with psoriasis develops psoriatic arthritis, but everyone with psoriatic arthritis has psoriasis. Like rheumatoid arthritis, it results when the body's immune system, which normally exists to protect against invaders, goes into overdrive and causes excessive inflammation. Most people develop the skin signs of psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Joint pain in people with psoriatic arthritis can range from mild to severe. Many experience changing signs and symptoms as the disease continues. Many definitions of psoriatic arthritis exist, which makes it hard to estimate how many people have the disease. About 10 percent to 15 percent of people with psoriasis eventually develop psoriatic arthritis. While no cure for psoriatic arthritis exists, doctors work to control your signs and symptoms and prevent damage to your joints."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psoriatic-arthritis/DS00476

Alright, so, now that we have that vague definition out there, I would like to explain a few things about my PA (which is commonly used as shorthand for the disease). I am lucky. My psoriasis is very very mild. My hands get it the worst, although when I was younger I had it all over my arms and my knees. Most people do not even notice my hands and there are times when I have no redness or dry skin at all. My PA is severe in the arthritis aspect.
I have joint pain daily, mainly concentrated in my hips, knees and ankles, while occasionally occurring in my hands, wrists, feet, toes, and possibly my back (the jury is still out on the cause of my back pain). I have been on forums for PA and I know that I am lucky to not have as much pain as a lot of PA sufferers out there. I walk, a lot, I am able to type this blog with little discomfort, and I do not have to worry about excruciating pain from the driest of dry skin. I am, however, very young, and because there is no cure for PA, I am very worried about my future. It is for that reason, and also in the hope that this blog may attract someone like me, that I decided to talk about this topic. I also want to make it clear that although I am a vegan and I have Psoriatic Arthritis, neither of them have anything to do with eachother (in otherwords; PA is not caused by having a vegan or vegetarian diet).