The point of this post is to give a quick history, for those who might be traveling this same road of psoriasis. As well as answer the most common questions I get about my psoriasis.

I got my first patch on my knee when I was 19 years old and working in a warehouse. I was constantly on my knees filling boxes. There is a link of the pressure on my knee that sparked the psoriasis to pop out there.

It took over a year to get a psoriasis diagnosis. I was told it was ringworm by one doctor,   eczema  by another. Finally when I got to see a dermatologist I was given the psoriasis diagnosis. It didn’t impact me at the time because it was just one patch and I was too young to care. But then it started “flaring”. Every few years I get a 1-2 year flare up and then I typically get a year or two of decently clear skin. This to date is my worst flare up yet. I assume it will continue to progress to be worse as I live longer, unless God would choose to heal me.

Psoriasis is not curable. You can treat it, but not cure it. I have tried LOTS of things. I have tried all sorts of natural remedies, and plexus, and sugar free, and exercising, light therapy, and steroids… lots and lots of things. To be honest I think some of them did help, but just a little. In the past, exercising and light therapy combined with steroids has given me the best results.

About six years ago, I had a season of life that I was very intensely involved in running. I did some 1/2 marathons so training was very time consuming. So not only was I involved in physical training, but I also was involved in counseling as well, which felt like spiritual/emotional training. These both happened around the same time. During those years my psoriasis did lessen and eventually it went into remission. Looking back, it makes sense that it would help the psoriasis go into remission.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find the time to exercise like I did 6 years ago. It’s a big commitment to run for 2 hours every Saturday, and that doesn’t count the 3 miles that need to happen three times a week as well.

I will say, I have chosen to not do any of the shots that are out there for psoriasis. I don’t think they are wrong. Who knows maybe next month my psoriasis will get so terrible that I will indeed try the shots. I’m just not ready to try them yet. Many of them have mental health side effects, like anxiety. I just laugh about that because I already have the self-induced anxiety thing down pat. I don’t need any extra help in increasing that area of my life. God has been doing a really good work in my life over the last six years, but a spirit of fear and anxiety, is not unknown to me. I’m not ready to open myself up to more of that then I already deal. Make sense?

Yes. Sometimes my skin gets so tight it hurts to bend or move. But if I keep it well moisturized that doesn’t happen often.

Double yes!! I sometimes feel like a cat with fleas, I just scratch and scratch. The skin cells grow really fast and when they get scratched off the skin feels fresh again, like normal skin.

No, it doesn’t make me depressed. But I do feel embarrassed about it sometimes, if I let myself. The building up of skin cells is what makes it look so terrible. I feel like I need to make a PSA during the summer that I am not contagious or diseased. I can hide it better in the winter with long sleeves and tights.

To read more about my psoriasis and what God has been teaching me on this journey, click here. Or learn about me and my photography business here.

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