Larapinta Trek - 8 July 2016

I know it’s hard to do, but can you imagine what it would be like dealing with the chronic pain of arthritis? Think of how debilitating this can be – maybe you know all too well. Sadly, there are many, many individuals in our community that are facing this dreadful disease.

 I have committed to fundraising $2000 for Arthritis Australia, an amazing organization working tirelessly to provide support and information to people with arthritis as well as their families and friends. $2000 will enable funding Australian researchers to continue their search into finding a cure for arthritis.

Please join me in helping support a people in need by making a donation to my page.

In 2008, I experienced increasing pain & swelling in the toes, ankles & knees & had ignored the pain over a couple of months until it became unbearable & my mobility was reduced. A decision was then made to see a doctor but visits to several doctors did not result in any relief or cure. After a long wait for an appointment to see a Rheumatologist, I was diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. The impact of having an autoimmune disorder had not hit me fully then and the initial medications did not produce the required results. Changing to other medications also did not work until I went to Singapore to be treated by my present Rheumatologist. The biologic injections worked amazingly & allowed me to live pain free & regain a sense of mobility. Research online also led to information that I needed to make lifestyle changes to help control my condition.

PsA can be a debilitating condition leading to permanent joint damage if not brought under control early & aggressively.

Even though the biologic injection worked well, the period of reduced mobility resulted in the muscles in my lower limbs wasting away. The rehab involved was a long & painful process. I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Even with medication & changes, I still encountered minor flare ups where my joints & muscles would not be able to work properly, what with fatigue setting in & worsening over the course of the day. The other challenge was my susceptibility in falling ill & food poisoning which is a side effect of the biologic injections that supress my immune system.

At the back of my mind, I could not let myself be trapped in this cycle & something had to be done about it. Being fortunate to have encountered knowledgeable healthcare professionals promoting patient information & empowerment paved the way for me to take control of my life.

Over the years, there have been numerous times when the feeling of having PsA became overwhelming. The lifestyle changes initially were not easy to adjust to & it always felt easier to just give up. Increased patient education through recognised medical sites for the dissemination of medical information as well as online medicine/health courses on FutureLearn & Coursera gave me the confidence & assurance that I was on the right track & helped me with my determination to not give up & carry on.

Over time, I have come to accept that there is no cure & that my condition can only be brought under control by medication & lifestyle changes. Being able to have some control over my condition through lifestyle changes gives me the sense of feeling that the PsA is no longer controlling me.

Reading about others with PsA who have not allowed their lives to be limited by going out to do extraordinary fundraising activities has also been inspirational & has led me to embark in fundraising rather than remain a victim.

I’ve been very fortunate to have a team of medical professionals who not only look after my medical needs but are also very supportive & encouraging all the way. My Rheumatologist, Dr. Sheila Vasoo, & my Rehab Trainer, Mark Pajich, have kindly agreed to provide their viewpoint on me from their perspective & are set out below.

Recent research findings on PsA has been encouraging which may lead to better targeted medication or perhaps better recommendations of changes needed to be carried out by patients.

My experience tells me that research is important as discoveries may help other conditions as well.

To all others in a similar situation, don’t sit back & wait for a cure!!

Mr Khor is a Lovely gentleman whom I have had the privilege to care for since February 2010. His first visit left an indelible impression on me. He came to Singapore, accompanied by his wife in a wheelchair and had the mobility of a 70 year-old! He had been suffering from progressive joint pains involving his knees, feet and lower back for many months and despite conventional disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, he had ongoing active disease which affected his activities of daily living and almost left him in a wheelchair! Yew Teik had been hobbling around with walking aids, unable to work and had to stop his sports.

Given a history of mild skin and scalp psoriasis since his undergraduate years and the findings of both skin, nails, joint and tendon inflammation as well as supportive blood tests, Yew Teik was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis involving both his peripheral joints as well as his spine. Additional screens also revealed that he had metabolic syndrome with high blood lipids and he was commenced on combination therapy of Arava and anti-TNF therapy. Within a month of therapy, he made a remarkable improvement, ditched his walking aids and has not had a major flare since March 2010. 

Yew Teik’s story is one of resilience and tenacity. Over the years, we have encountered various twists and turns in his road to recovery with tendoachilles tendinitis, venous thrombosis, liver inflammation and fractures in the spine and ankle. However, with each bend in the road, Yew Teik, takes it all in his stride, never fails to have a positive a can-do disposition, which is indeed something we all can learn from. He has a major role to play in his recovery, in fact, a lot of credit goes to him for being compliant to medications, not being fearful of the side-effects but rather equipping himself with the facts and partnering with health professionals to reach our goals of disease remission.

He strives to maintain remission through diet, exercise and meditation. He has a rigorous exercise and diet regime that puts competitive athletes to shame! He enters into every trek with a great deal of planning, and training and I am proud to share that he has successfully completed numerous treks since achieving remission and wholeheartedly recommend him as an ambassador for arthritis:

In 2013, he climbed Mt Fuji, nearly reached Everst Base Camp in 2014, hiked the Kumano Kodo, Japan in June 2015 and walked the Way of St James in Nov 2015 and most recently outdid his records again at the Milford and Routeburn Tracks, New Zealand.

It gives me great joy to see that he plans to do this new 88-km trek in the Northern Territories, Australia and raise funds and awareness for arthritis! Well done!

Yours Sincerely

Dr SHEILA VASOO

Senior Consultant & Rheumatologist

MBBS (Singapore), MRCP (UK)

FRCP (Edinburgh), FAMS (Rheumatology)

Khor came to us in 2011 to look into a training program to help get him back into shape after being diagnosed with Psoriatic Arthritis. He scored well below average on his first fitness assessment.  His first program was basic and to simply get him into an exercise routine that wouldn’t cause additional injury or problems however even with light exercise, his immune system found it difficult to cope.  He was constantly sick and having to break from training (sometimes more than a month long).  Progress was very slow and difficult and constantly hitting roadblocks, getting sick and having to take regular breaks from training even though the training was very mild.  However he persevered and slowly but surely he improved.  It took 3 years to get him to a high level of fitness whereby he decided he wanted to tackle the Everest Base Camp trek.  This training routine was rigorous and difficult but he succeeded in achieving his goal and of attaining a fitness level that is now on par with our fitness trainers.  Since 2014 his breaks from training have been few and far between and has commenced a number of hikes and climbs around the world.

Mark Pajich – Titliest Performance Institute Fitness 2 Certified Instructor and FISAF Master Trainer