Are you worthy?
I got this disease at the age of 5. (1963) I had severe psoriasis my whole life. Can you imagine the emotional trauma I had to endure over the years? I can, it impacted me severely. I had a fear of self-doubt and thought I was a loser. Can you imagine going through this as a child and into adulthood?
What changed my narrative was finding a community that understood, and me realizing I was not alone. I also had to accept my feelings and the thoughts in my head. I created a new path for me and I'm glad I did.
I'm my own best advocate now and I let my voice be heard. Is there anything you have done to change the narrative of your story? We would like to hear from you. Diane (Team Member)
What a great topic. I now know that psoriasis gave my life purpose. When I started accepting having psoriasis I started getting involved with the National Psoriasis Foundation which changed my life in ways I could not have even imagined. Now I try to encourage others to get involved as well. Vickie W., Team Member
You're strength to endure this throughout your life is beyond commendable. I know I can't imagine growing up as a child and having the possibilities of being misunderstood or even bullied because others simply didn't understand what was going on. But as you said, it's the acceptance and the mind shift that makes living with it a bit easier because you get to gain a sense of control in how you cope and manage with it instead of letting it just ruin you. Diane you are such a light and I personally enjoy learning about psoriasis through your experiences. Thank you for always being open and sharing with us. Kindly, Latoya (Team Member) 
2017
Thanks for commenting in joining in the conversation. How did you handle things when you first got the diagnosis? I imagine it was a lot to take in, but I’d love to hear how you've navigated your journey since then. Kindly, Latoya (Team Member)
When I first got diagnosed I was 24 and felt like it wasn't a big deal at that time . It was very mild . I was also unaware what psoriasis was. I knew about Eczema . So I understood I would have flare ups and dry skin. But as I got more flares I started to understand this was not going to be a walk in the park. I would have never thought by the age of 27 I would have arthritis and feel exhausted all the time . I'm now 31 and living with psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis. I have my psoriasis under control thanks to biological medicine. The hard esthetics part to manage would be arthritis I'm still trying to figure that out.
for the first few years I was on taltz and it helped tremendously. But after a while it stopped working so I got switched over to cosentyx . Was on this biological for about two years. And no I'm on tremfya. I don't believe any of these has helped with symptoms . I have had to take methotrexate on top of these biological drugs and it seems to have helped a bit . Since starting biological drugs I've changed my diet . Reduced sugar as much as possible. I did start working out more . I go to gym 5 -3 days a week. I have 3 dogs that keep me moving and take them on daily walks . Hopefully one day we get to see a biological drug that really does all the works for me , this is my exact story. I have been on 8 different biologics. They all stop working after a while. I have been on Methotrexate for years now. I have 2 dogs that I walk daily. I am down to my goal weight, but nothing has changed. I am in my 2nd year on Skyrizi. Right now it's doing good for the psoriasis, but not for the psoriatic arthritis. Yes, I'm with you, I hope they find something that works for us. Thanks for sharing. Diane (Team Member)
