Starting in the past.. "Doctors", "Cures" and Endless tubes of creams

Hello and welcome back!

I decided that the present and future won’t make a lick of sense without the past, or at least a bit of it, so that is where I am going to start. As its gotten so long, I think I’ll make this a 2 part post, so your don’t nod off half way. 😄

My journey began at 5 months old. 

 I was officially diagnosed by the family doc after my mum recognized the symptoms as her mother suffered with severe Psoriasis too. And so begins the all too familiar story of creams, new creams, another new cream, this is the one that will cure you! Oh, that one didn't work? This will do the trick! And so on and so on. 

** Side note. Something I learned very early on was that everyone has a "cure". Doctors, Nurses, Dietitions, Neighbours, Shop assistants, Strangers walking down the street, you name it. Geeze, we've all had a "you know your sisters friend Sarah's Mum? Her uncle Bob's dog walker had that! She just used a secret recipe from an American Indian funeral director once, and cleared it right up in 8 minutes or less!" story! Arent they just a hoot! Insert sarcasm face, Here.**

I was first hospitalized for treatment around 5. By which time my entire torso and back were completely covered, as were parts of my arms and legs. I went in for the tar treatment that basically burns your skin off - (weather healthy or not) leaving it appearing purple and bruised. Wrapped in bandages and a mesh type body stocking to hold it all on. I was there for a week.. It did nothing but burn my healthy skin, and take the rough surface off. That was back after the first shower at home.

Next came the Naturopath. Now, For some people I can understand that this works. You're probably an adult, conscious of what you eat most of the time anyway, right? I was an 8 year old, who loved food. I went in the little room, and the "Doctor" starts handing me these little glass vials? She tells me "Hold this with this hand, and I’m going to take your other hand and I want you to make a circle using your thumb and index fingers. I’m going to try and pull my finger through yours, and if I can break apart your fingers, you’re allergic to what you’re holding." Scientific, eh! Even for 8 year old me, I thought um.... yeah, nah, probably not though.. Anyway, off she goes "wheat, oh, that’s an allergy. Dairy, oop, that’s another one! Sugar? Gone. Eggs? Gone." This went on for about an hour and I was left with rice flour, rice cakes, dairy free milk, potatoes and one or two fruits & veg. just what an 8 year old wants, right?

9 1/2 - Hospitalization No. 2. Became a Michael Jackson - Thriller, Film Clip Extra.

By around 10 I was back to the specialist. It was time to start the hard stuff. I remember walking in and the specialist referring me to another doctor. He said it was for a harsh drug, and did not want to be responsible for giving it to someone so young. 

RED FLAG. 

This was when I began Methotrexate. New doc told me and my mother that this is a drug given to cancer patients and people with tumours because it slows down the growth to prolong their lives. 

RED FLAG #2. 

New Doc also recommended UV treatment. I remember my mother saying to him "So, not only do you want me to poison her, but give her skin cancer as well?" My mother hated this doctor, but he was the first doctor to treat me like a human that could understand his words and spoke directly to me, instead of about me like I wasn’t in the room. I loved this doctor. 

This helped ease my symptoms for a few months. Then the side effects started for me, and the benefits stopped. I started on the tablet, once a week, eventually moving to the injection when I could no longer keep the tablets down. Even they made me nauseous. I lost a lot of weight from not being able to eat a lot of my favourite foods due to texture issues, mouth ulcers, smells suddenly setting me off etc. throw in needle phobia, regular blood tests, and a frustrated parent in charge of giving the needles and you can just guess how much fun this all was for me. I lasted about 2 years, and it did effectively nothing for me, except make me sick and turned me off most foods. I'm still unable to eat some of those things. 

Around 12, 3rd Hospitalization. Mummy bandages again.

After that, my mum kept trying to get me to try new, wacky diets, or other hinky things she'd read somewhere, (even to this day she does this "Have you tried Colonic irrigation yet?" - This was last week..) but I had mostly given up. It was all I knew so I accepted I was going to be stuck like this forever and lost any interest and faith in getting better. This went on until 16, when I started working and moved out on my own. I started getting back pain, and multiple doctors said “no, you seem fine, heat packs” etc. Around this time I met my partner. At some point I think around 18, I was in bed, and I tried to roll over. I got stuck half way, my back was spasming and I was stuck. This was my first ambulance ride and the beginning of getting answers.

End Scene, Part one. Part two, coming soon!

If you have any questions about anything I've written above or would like to know more about them individually, I intend to write a dedicated post to each therapy and the ups and downs assosicated with each. They have all hugely shaped my life today, so I think they are deserving of thier own time to shine - Despite most of them being for negative reasons. If you would like to know anything inparticular or have any questions, please comment any down below, and I will endeavor to answer them in the next/ dedicated post. Additionally, if you feel comfortable enough to share your experiences and have tried any of the mentioned therapies, I would love to hear about them!

Thanks for reading,
Millz xx