請依下文回答第 36 題至第 40 題 Mollie Carman, 55, developed psoriatic arthritis when she was a teenager. This is her story. It's hard to remember a time when I didn't have psoriatic disease. As a baby, I had psoriasis on my scalp—it is really sad that this disease can affect small children. Then, when I was about 13 years old, I developed a type of psoriasis called guttate psoriasis. Small pink lesions broke out on about 90% of my body. Around this time, I also started suffering from excruciating back pain. It was like a muscle spasm that I would wake up with and kept feeling the entire day. But while I was diagnosed with psoriasis fairly quickly, nobody seemed to know what was causing my back pain. My symptoms worsened in my 20s and 30s, even as I somehow managed to have four children by the time I was 33. The pain started to affect my neck and other joints, but I continued doing all the things I always did—hiking with my young kids, running, and swimming in Lake Michigan. I've had physical problems all my life, so I just assumed I was weak. Meanwhile, my dermatologist, primary care doctor, and other specialists told me I could have fibromyalgia, lupus, or rheumatoid arthritis. It seemed like I'd get a different possible diagnosis at every visit. I started reading all the medical books I could get my hands on and became familiar with psoriatic arthritis.But I didn't see a rheumatologist until 2002, when I was in my early 40s. I found a rheumatologist in Boise who is considered one of the best in the Northwest. He took an X-ray of my pelvis, and I finally got my diagnosis. It turned out that I have a condition called spondylitis, a type of psoriatic arthritis that can affect the bones in the pelvis. In my case, some of the joints in my lower spine had fused. By that time, though, a lot of damage had already been done. Treatment for psoriatic arthritis can't reverse existing damage. Plus, many of them don't work that well for me since my disease is already so advanced. My pubic bones have hardened and my joints have stiffened. I have had to have cervical spine surgery and a hip replacement.Every year it gets worse, especially in the winter, when it feels like I'm walking through quick sand. I urge those who think they might have psoriatic arthritis to find a good rheumatologist. The National Psoriasis Foundation, which I'm an advocate for, can help you find some in your area. And luckily, it's now much easier than it used to be to find a rheumatologist who specializes in the disease. 【題組】38 What treatment did Carmen get?
(A) Exercise and a healthy diet. (B) Cerebral surgery and scalp replacement. (C) Surgery in the neck and joints. (D) Cervical spine surgery and a hip replacement.
寫作批改
VIP與詳解卡管理
