Update: see my blog on Adapting Life to the Rash https://notwhatyouwanttohear.blogspot.com/2022/01/adapting-life-to-rash.html for how this all got started but let me tell you where I am at today living with Psoriasis
2023...It's been a little over a year since I was diagnosed with Psoriasis. I had never even heard of this illness until I was diagnosed by a dermatologist. So much has occurred since diagnosis resulting in additional testing, blood work, TB test, etc. To trying different medications to get the dreaded rash under control. Living with psoriasis is so much more than a rash or a medication. It is an auto immune illness. Somehow my immune system got broken. Maybe it's genetic, maybe it was triggered by some external factor and there all along. I don't really know enough to give you the science behind it but what I do know is it makes you feel awful.
When on medication I'm sick, when off medication I'm sick. I just have to choose the lesser of two evils in this case and it will be a lifelong battle. Currently I am taking Skyrizi. Skyrizi is a biologic injection taken every 3 months. It is painless, quick and easy to take. Side effects for me have included nausea, stomache pain and headache. I have had some respiratory issues but very minor and I haven't noticed any real difference from before when dealing with respiratory allergens from living here in Tennessee. It is better than hurting everyday and feeling like I'm wearing my skin inside out.
I'm almost positive my hurting is from psoriatic arthritis that came with the psoriasis. It is undiagnosed because I would have to also see a rheumatologist which I haven't seen, but luckily Skyrizi has also helped with the arthritic pain.
One of the recurring issues I am still having is hair loss. I shed worse than my dogs. I'm not sure if this is from the Skyrizi or from the psoriasis itself. All still worth it though so that I don't have the pain and all over rash.
My advice if experiencing a new skin issue you have never had before is to just not give up. After following the psoriasis and chronic hives groups on Facebook I consistently hear people say they just want to give up and that they don't feel like they can go on living like this anymore. I can 100 % agree with this. I have been there. I felt the same way. I just kept going to doctors until someone figured it out and then I tried all the meds until something worked for me. I'm not going to lie and say the process is easy or that you will even find relief forever. Things change over time. I'm scared to death of a relapse that causes me to have to go back to trial and error of meds. I'm scared to death of any future hospital surgeries that require me to go off my suppressant and inviting the dreaded rash back into my life.
But I know that right now I am 100% clear and for a brief while I have my life back. It isn't always easy and sometimes I have weird symptoms like headache or itchiness. Some foods and drinks don't settle right with me anymore. But it is worth it. Life is worth fighting for and my daily routine is finally something I can live with again. No more lotions every hour. No more steroids. No more what ifs.
