Hello, Shirley:
- maybe it's more the case for men?
This might be the case; the disease presentation is much different in women. There is a blurring and delay of symptoms and some articles suggest this might make things worse for women since it can be many decades to indication of SIJ fusion, but all along the inflammation is active.
In truth, we cannot experience each others' pain, so it is impossible to really explain clearly what the crazy-making pain does to us beyond a certain point. We get pain that cannot be 'sucked up' or 'worked through;' we are immobilized by it, until it finally relents. At the onset, we have a really cruel level of pain that really makes us think about the long-term outcome.
HEALTH,
John