Getting Advice About My Psoriasis From A Toddler

Children are the most honest little people on the planet. They have no filter and do not mind telling you exactly what they think. My 4-year-old granddaughter is no exception. I recently watched her and her baby sister for a week. It was probably halfway through that week that she noticed my ankle. My left ankle is almost completely covered in plaque psoriasis.

There is only a thin strip of my ankle that is not covered. My ankle is not a pretty sight. Usually when I am around them, I have socks on, so it is not noticeable. If I am at their home, I must cover it because their dog loves to lick on it. However, since they were staying at my home, I didn’t feel the need to put on the socks. Maybe I should have.

Not being prepared

I am very open about my psoriasis journey. There are always opportunities to tell my story. Believe it or not, I find it cathartic telling people about my psoriasis. It has been a long journey that just passed the 20-year mark of having psoriasis. So many ups and downs that are almost too numerous to even count. In the beginning I was embarrassed and done everything I could to hide the plaques. Now I want people to see it and ask questions. By telling my story of living with psoriasis, I can educate those who ask me questions.

However, it is very different trying to explain my psoriasis to children. Yes, they are inquisitive and want to know what something is. My granddaughter is at that stage where she is curious about everything. I want her to know what psoriasis is and what her Nana lives with daily.

On this particular morning, she had been playing with her toys. She was rolling a ball on the floor to her little sister. They were having a fun time which was allowing me to have my coffee that I desperately needed. Her sister rolled the ball past my granddaughter causing it to stop close to my ankle. When she came over to get the ball she noticed my patches on my ankle. She looked up at me and told me “Nana you have a bad boo-boo.” I didn’t lie to the child, I told her that I have psoriasis. Without missing a beat, she looks at it and then back to me. When I tell you I wasn’t prepared for what she was about to say to me about the psoriasis is a vast understatement.

Her response floored me

This sweet, honest, adorable child looks at me and says, “Nana, you need to go to the doctor.” All I could say at the time was excuse me. She repeated what she said. I need to go to the doctor was the response I got again. Here is a 4-year-old who doesn’t comprehend what psoriasis is, but knows that it is bad enough that I should see a doctor.

All I could do at the moment was pull her to me and give her a big hug. I reassured her that I am fine, and I do see a doctor. She smiled, got down, and went back to playing with the ball. I don’t know if I reassured her enough that I am okay. How do you explain psoriasis to a child that is not old enough to understand what it is? I know adults who cannot fully understand what it is. How is she supposed to understand? That is weighing on me now. Is there a way to explain it so that it makes sense to her? HELP!