So aside from my dodgy pancreas and insides, I also suffer the misfortune of having psoriasis.
I've had the skin condition for over 25 years, I think I was first diagnosed when I was about 6 years old. I've had the torment of being bullied all my way through school from people who didn't know what it was. At one point I told people I had eczema ( because it was easier to explain ) and for some reason the bullying stopped, I never understood why eczema was "normal" and not something to be bullied about yet psoriasis was some horrible disease and the person suffering deserved to be tormented and have names called at them!
I've tried all manner of lotions and potions, ranging from topical steroid creams to coal tar based lotions. I've spent many a week on the dermatology ward as a child being bandaged from head to toe in order to keep the ointment on me. I've also tried UVB light therapy which is like an industrial sunbed, you start off by going on for about 30 seconds to a minute and then gradually build up in 30 second increments. You spend more time getting undressed and dressed again than you do in the machine!
So I'm still battling the ailment today and am currently covered from head to toe. I'm going to be brave and show you all photos of my lower legs.
I cannot describe how much my entire body itches at the moment, but it's so bad that I wake myself up scratching and bleeding. I sometimes feel the only way I could get some proper relief is if I was to rub myself down with sandpaper ( and I have been known to do that to my legs and feet in the past !! )
So anyway, I have been to see the dermatologist this morning to see what help they can give me. The keep recommending that I try a new auto immune injection which apparently has had some fantastic results, however it does significantly lower your own immune system. If I hadn't have had my pancreatitis and currently be waiting for further operations I would probably have jumped at the chance of trying the injections but I cannot risk my health at the moment. The only thing that has actually ever worked and kept my skin clear for a good few weeks, is two weeks holiday in the sun. The combination of sun and sea water works wonders on my skin, but the NHS won't pay for a holiday for me so instead, it's back to the old UVB light treatment and short contact ointment. So that means for the next few weeks I shall be visiting the hospital every day for treatment - easier said than done when you have a 3 year old in tow! I cannot expect him to sit and be quiet in the treatment room whilst myself and other patients are covered from head to toe in ointment that stains everything it comes into contact with, so, I guess I'll be calling in a few favours of my relatives to babysit him for a few hours every day whilst I try and get myself sorted.
Do any of my readers suffer from any skin problems and/or have any solutions that they would care to share? - you can post anonymously if you like.
Thanks for this great article…
ReplyDelete