Facing
Forward is a series that shares the lives of people living with arthritis
and other invisible chronic illnesses. The goal of the series is to see how we
are similar and how we are different - and to remind us to keep moving forward
because we aren't alone!
Name: Vicki
Location: Ontario, Canada
Diagnosis: Psoriasis
Age at Diagnosis: elementary school, around the
age of 10
How are you currently
treating your condition?
I go
intermittently for phototherapy, but mostly I control my psoriasis with diet.
Avoiding gluten, dairy, chocolate, nuts, beans, corn, bananas, and eggs makes a
night and day difference for me! I identified most of my trigger foods through
a blood test for IgG antibodies. Diets to help psoriasis (and I imagine many
other autoimmune conditions) are incredibly individual, but I'm happy to have
found something that works well for me.
What are the biggest
challenges you have faced since your diagnosis?
During
my last bad flare I was recommended for methotrexate, an immunosuppressant,
which would have seen me have to quit my job as a lab scientist (as I work with
high level pathogens and cannot be on these types of medications). That was a
scary time. I never realized my condition could have such a profound effect on
all areas of my life, prior to that. Aside from that experience, the ever-present
pain and itching of my skin lesions is mentally draining, adding into the
fatigue that comes with many chronic autoimmune conditions.
What are your
favorite tips and tricks for managing everyday tasks?
Anything
that reduces the pain and itching is top of my list for everyday management. I
have a super involved moisturization routine that I follow everyday, which
helps prevent drying and cracking. Using creams with menthol helps temporarily
reduce itching. I also practice Vipassana meditation. Keeping my skin as happy
as possible and having tools to manage anxiety and feelings of hopelessness
allows me to get on with the other aspects of my day!
How do you manage to
keep facing forward every day?
Having
the pleasure of becoming a patient advocate for both psoriasis and psoriatic
arthritis keeps me facing forward! There are days when I feel run down and
ready to throw myself a pity party, but I know that I could also spend that
time answering someone's question, or sharing in someone's journey. The passion
to create a safe community for people like me is what keeps me motivated.
If you could go back
to diagnosis day and tell your past self one thing, what would it be?
I
would tell myself to enjoy my life and to try and overcome my ego at a younger
age (a tall order when you're in your formative years!) I would also tell
myself "yes, it does get worse, and yes, you do survive." So much of
my childhood and early adolescence was spent agonizing over the "what
ifs" of my disease. Knowing what was to come would have been
disheartening, but it would have also allowed me to let go of those fears (and
it would have given me a total appreciation of the almost decade when my skin
really wasn't that bad. But everything is relative, and hindsight is 20:20!).
Do you have a blog
you would like to share?
I write for PlaquePsoriasis.com.
Would you like to be featured on Facing Forward? If
so, please send an email to mariah@fromthispointforward.com.
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