Elbow Psoriasis

I count myself as a strong person. Psoriasis does not define who I am. At least most of the time. I have had psoriasis for over 20 years. It took me a long time to get past the stigma that came along with it. People can be so cruel when they do not understand something. The first thought is that it must be contagious. Who knows? If we did not have psoriasis, I guess it is possible that we would think the same thing. It takes knowing someone with psoriasis or having family that has it that takes that concept away for most people. My husband, for instance, is one of those people. He gave us a chance because he had a friend who had psoriasis. He was honest with me and told me that had he not had that friend he would never have given me a chance.

Psoriasis on my elbows

But this is not about my husband or anyone else. This is about me. When I was younger, I had a friend that had psoriasis as well. Not knowing what psoriasis was I did not converse with her about her psoriasis. I wish I did. Yes, we are still friends and now we are talking about it because psoriasis is my concern as well. I noticed the psoriasis on her elbows. There was no way to miss it in the summer months when she wore short sleeve shirts. The thoughts of seeing her elbows then flood my memories now, especially since psoriasis is breaking out on my elbows again. This is the second time it has broken out on my elbows.

So many feelings are flooding me at this moment. I remember the dread I felt when it broke out the first time. That dread got worse when a woman actually told me that I got psoriasis from putting my elbows on a dirty table in a restaurant. That memory will stay with me until the day I am no longer on this earth. Now that dread is arising within me the more the psoriasis spreads. Psoriasis is painful no matter where it is on the body. However, psoriasis on the elbows in my opinion is one of the most painful. As I sit here and type on my laptop I keep rubbing the patch on my desk. The solution was to get towels to help pad my elbows. It still makes it uncomfortable.

The gift that keeps on giving

I always tell people that psoriasis is that one gift that just keeps on giving. Each flare seems to bring an area that was once clear and is not now. Such is my luck with my elbows. They once were clear but with recent events that threw me into a flare both elbows are once again covered in plaque psoriasis. It is a painful reminder to try my best to keep my stress level down. For those of you who have psoriasis on your elbows I would love tips that keep your elbows from being so painful. Please comment below.