Her Skin and Bones - A Life with Psoriasis

Hey guys. Todays post is going to be a bit less cheerful, because to be honest, I'm just not feeling it. I've been asked alot lately if I have PsA. The simple answer is yes. I've said many times that for me, my skin is a back seat issue, which I know is the case for many of us. My joints are my top concern, and the cause of most of my pain. Before I started Humira, I was diagnosed with PsA - I was about 19 at official diagnosis, but had the symptoms from about 15/16. It started in my lower back and particularly in my Sacroiliac joint. I tried massage, and physio, I was given a support belt, and told to wear it as often as possible. It was one that was designed to pull my pelvis back in, as the joints were being pushed apart. Then my hip joints started to go. I was regularly only able to walk with crutches, after a while I was told that I had recurring bursitis, and best course of action was to do cortisone shots into the joints as needed. Centerlink sent me for a ...

Hello! Sorry I've been AWOL over the weekend! We had a well earned night off from parenting on Saturday night, so we spent some time sleeping, went out for dinner and drinks with some friends, and generally relaxed! I even managed to get some art in! So today I thought I would dive into the most frequently talked about treatment that I see alllllllllll over social media, and that is the clean eating, diet controlled - self-care option. This is something I  have mixed feeling about. As I've stated all along, I don't advocate for those who "push" treatments on people. I'm all for getting the information out there, but I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't be doing. I've come to the conclusion that most people who read this blog are adults. That makes you automatically able to take away from the crap I babble what you like. I know we don't all agree on treatments, I know that we are all different, I know that we all believ...

Hello! Welcome/ back! I've put together this little informational post to allow you guys to share with folks who may have questions. Hell, I've had this bloody condition for 26 years and even I learned some shit! :p So! Lets get started! What Is Psoriasis? Psoriasis is a long term skin condition typically described as patches of skin that are red, itchy, painful, scaly or flaky. Plaque Psoriasis is the most common type making up around 90% of total sufferers. Psoriasis is considered an Auto-Immune Disease. This is when the body can't properly decipher the good from the bad. In our case, our body attacks itself particularly related to our skin. In an attempt to push the "bad" skin out it rapidly produces new layers of skin, and pushes them through in a high volume, which our body cannot naturally er, exfoliate? So it builds up and forms plaques. The silvery appearance is caused by the fact that as it is pushed out, it loses its connection with the blood sup...

Jumping right on in! There are very few situations where it is appropriate to ask a stranger what is wrong with them. When you get it wrong, Its a bit like congratulating someone and asking when they're due, when they aren't actually pregnant. For me, Psoriasis becomes that topic that everyone "wants" to know, but don't really want to know. So I don't tend to talk about it in general conversation, and even when people ask, I've found most times they are doing it more so to be polite than to actually learn anything, so a vague answer is often given with a coating of verbal glitter to distract them and the subject changes and we move on. Most of us have been going through the motions with Pso for quite some time,  and we get somewhat used to what goes along with it. Some of us start to get our skin out more, open up a bit more and react less to others. I can usually spot someone who is new to the secret society of Pso Warriors though. They are often...

Hey again guys! So today I wanted to write a bit of a fun post. Or at least, poke some fun at the situations we've all been in at some point. How many times have you been asked "Is it contagious!?" With a look of horror, or a discreet step back? or "Whats wrong with your *insert body part here*" or "Did you burn yourself?" "You should wear sunblock next time!" Hot tip folks. Don't do that. Now, I cant speak for us all, I can only speak for me. When I am out and about with my family/ friends/ alone, I notice when other people have Psoriasis. We are kind of like a secret society. We acknowledge each other with a bit of a nod and a smile, and continue moving right along. We know what it is, we know how it feels, so its a bit like acknowledging a fellow comrade who is fighting just like me. We don't need to stop and quiz each other on treatments, or whats hot in steroid creams this season and the latest in breathable fabric fashio...

Hey guys!! I just wanted to jump in real quick and share I'm on all the social medias now! If you would like to follow for more frequent updates, life stuff and regular photo updates you can follow me on Facebook , Instagram  and Twitter . I'd love to see you there! So today I have my 2-week Taltz update! For those just tuning in, there is a post in the " Current Treatments " tab if you would like to catch up. :) So! Its been 14 days, and I feel like I can give a more insightful "review" of sorts. So as you know, on Friday the 4th, I had my first loading dose of Taltz. We chose to use the PFP as neither J nor me are ultimately fond of needles, and seeing as he gives them to me, what he prefers goes - because I'm a big chicken and can't do it to myself. :p On day one, my legs ached, and felt a lot like I'd been given a really good dead leg in both legs. They continued to feel like this for about 3-4 days. On day 2-3, the injection site was...

Heya guys! Sorry for the Hiatus! I've been layed out with a headache for a bit over a week. Guessing its a side effect of the loading dose of Taltz. But it has got me thinking! Sufferers of chronic health issues of any variety experience an altered quality of life. Our good days are the ones with less pain, less itchiness, less fatigue, less side effects, etc. Sadly, they are rarely days with No pain, No fatigue etc. This has a lasting and profound effect on our mental health. How could it not? For me, the struggles with depression, and incredibly low self esteem, have been a life long battle. As I've had Psoriasis for basically my whole life, I've been through it all. Primary school and high school were not fun times for me. I would say that primary school was probably worse, kids don't have much of a filter. I got everything from "Eww, get away, i'll catch it!!" to "last one to **insert task/ race/ finish food** Has to go touch her!!", ...

Hey Guys! So as you might know if you are following along on any of my other social media ( Instagram and  Twitter  if you are interested) I recently began not just my new treatment, but a  new treatment! Going by the name of Taltz , This is another sub-cutaneous injectable, available in a PFP or Traditional pre filled injection. Now, I about fell off my chair when I first googled this one, because one of the first things that came up for me was the cost. This ain't cheap! While covered by the PBS it is only the standard $38.80 - The private cost for two injections is a whopping $3,409.52! Other things I found out while googling - - side effects/ long term effects are largely unknown aside from the more standard ones eg, headaches, injection area reactions, nausea, higher risk of infections and sore throats are common. - This particular drug is only just out of its clinical trial phase. As in only openly prescribed (by a specialist) in 2017. Brand sp...

Hello, and Welcome/ Welcome back! Today's post is for our #1 supporters. For me, that would be my Hubs2B, Jason. Those of us who live our daily lives with Psoriasis or PsA know how debilitating it can be. I've had months where I've needed help with everything from getting out of bed to showering and using the bathroom. I've been lucky that I've never needed help with the more intimate parts of bathroom use, however, I've needed help with the getting off the loo afterwards!   I am lucky enough to have had the most amazing human in my life! Backstory time! We met at a car meet about 2 hours from where I lived. I went with another friend, and he introduced me to J and a bunch of his friends. Somewhere throughout the afternoon, we were all sitting around talking, and there were no seats left. J was standing and I offered for him to share my seat. He kind of mumbled an ok, and then wandered over and sat down on my chair designed for one. Everyone else there...

Ahhhh Humira. 💗💚💚 I know. You guys will probably think that I'm ridiculous saying Methotrexate was my most memorable after reading all this, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, it still sticks out more to me than Humira does, for all the wrong reasons! *Facts - Humira ( Adalimumab ) is another anti-rheumatic. It's used for treating a range of Auto-Immune Diseases such as rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis, Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, to name a few. It works because it is a TNF inhibitor , which is a part of the body's inflammatory response. (This is great if you, like me, enjoy tattoos - quick healing times :p) It is available as a Pre Filled Pen or as traditional pre filled injection. these can be done yourself with training, or by a loved one - or by your treating physician. These injections are painful. I can only speak for the pen (my fiance couldn't bring himself to give me the injection) but...