The heartbreak of psoriasis.....

“The Heartbreak of Psoriasis”

Remember that old advertising phrase?  Well, it's not really joke. 

I was officially diagnosed with psoriasis a few weeks ago.  And I must say that while it is for me not a heartbreak, it is something that is not fun to put up with.

I must also say that after having researched the matter, I do not have all that terrible a case of the disease.  It is on very few parts of my body which are publicly shown, and compared to many photos I have seen, I have been lucky.

I have always had dry skin, and about two years ago things started going downhill, with terrible dandruff and then many other symptoms.  Being a “non-doctor” sort of person, I decided to use dandruff shampoos and rely on my “if you ignore it, it will go away” philosophy.

Well, that didn't work, as might be supposed.

What brought it all to a head (pun intended) is that a few weeks ago my left ear turned hot and bright red, as did a large portion of my check, with welts also appearing.  Even I figured out that this was not normal, and I finally went to our family doctor who took one look at me and made an immediate appointment with a dermatologist (or skin doctor, in german).

He seemed thrilled to see me and my unusual but not unheard of development, even calling in all his assistants to look at it.  (Hm, guess I always wanted to be a model....)  He said that if I had not come in so promptly, it could have led to serious if not fatal conditions.  But antibiotics and a steroid cream cleared it up promptly.

I will start a light-and-bath therapy in January, three mornings a week, every week through the end of March.  Will this help?  I hope so.  At least the health insurance will cover it so I won't be hit financially.

Actually, right now things are going well and clearing up. But psoriasis is that sort of disease.  It comes and goes, while never entirely going away, So, yes, I will have this the rest of my life.

I am being conscientious about using various lotions on my whole body, to clear up existing problems and hopefully prevening future ones.  Moisture, moisture and more moisture!

Why am I writing about his, after having hidden it for so long?

Because it seems to help.

I told my colleagues about it earlier, as my treatments may (but hopefully won't) affect my woking hours.  And since then, things have gone better.  Talking about it openly and honestly, even with my husband and son now for the first time, seems to relieve a stress I didn't know I had.  Being open about it is an important step in stress reduction for me at least, and stress is supposed to be a factor in outbreaks.

This turned out to be a serious one today, but sometimes life is like that!

Susan