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... was how the old commercial went. I forget what they were hawking but I remember the line.
It's not heartbreak... it's itchy dry horrible red looking skin.
When I was first diagnosed back in my 20s they said there was nothing I could do except slather on lotion. So I suffered quietly. After a few decades I decided to seek out help again. Coal tar treatments? They did nothing. Then they jumped me to light therapy. You go inside this closet sized chamber that is lined with 24 UVB light bulbs and they cook you. It took months to ram me up from 30 seconds to 3 minutes and I cleared almost 100%!
Which is good because my psoriasis covers 90% of my body.
I really really liked light therapy. I'd step out of the chamber and feel *great*.
Then they stopped offering it and switched me to Soratin (spelling? It's been a long time) but that made me moody and aggressive. I stopped that and my psoriasis returned - hard.
So... for another decade I suffered in silence.
Yesterday I finally saw a new dermatologist and we discussed options. No, they don't offer light therapy... but maybe I can get a script for some lamps. She's going to start me with a steroid cream for the worst spots - then get fresh blood work, then we go from there.
Like my epilepsy, I will probably suffer with this until I die - but I'm tired of suffering. I know there's no cure but I want as much treatment as I can.
-m
It's not heartbreak... it's itchy dry horrible red looking skin.
When I was first diagnosed back in my 20s they said there was nothing I could do except slather on lotion. So I suffered quietly. After a few decades I decided to seek out help again. Coal tar treatments? They did nothing. Then they jumped me to light therapy. You go inside this closet sized chamber that is lined with 24 UVB light bulbs and they cook you. It took months to ram me up from 30 seconds to 3 minutes and I cleared almost 100%!
Which is good because my psoriasis covers 90% of my body.
I really really liked light therapy. I'd step out of the chamber and feel *great*.
Then they stopped offering it and switched me to Soratin (spelling? It's been a long time) but that made me moody and aggressive. I stopped that and my psoriasis returned - hard.
So... for another decade I suffered in silence.
Yesterday I finally saw a new dermatologist and we discussed options. No, they don't offer light therapy... but maybe I can get a script for some lamps. She's going to start me with a steroid cream for the worst spots - then get fresh blood work, then we go from there.
Like my epilepsy, I will probably suffer with this until I die - but I'm tired of suffering. I know there's no cure but I want as much treatment as I can.
-m
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I wonder why they stopped providing light therapy? Scares over UV irradiation perhaps?
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