Your stories – Psoriatic Arthritis

Following Canterbury’s devastating earthquake in September 2010, Christchurch’s  mother-of-two Melanie had her first flare up of arthritis.

“After the first big earthquake, my stress levels were pretty high and the pain just kept getting worse and worse.  It got to point where I felt like I couldn’t walk.  As a stay at home Mum with two kids, not being able to walk made things pretty tough,” says Melanie.

“I went to see a rheumatologist in November 2010 who diagnosed me with psoriatic arthritis.  Shortly after that, I got in touch with the experts at Arthritis New Zealand, who immediately provided me with relevant, helpful information, as well as some much needed emotional support.”

“Arthritis New Zealand has been fantastic.  They helped get me enrolled in a Living a Healthy Life course, which was a wonderful experience.  It gave me a chance to network with other people who have arthritis, learn techniques for self-management, increase my knowledge and get myself in a good, healthy space.”