My Struggle with Misdiagnosis and Psoriasis.

Growing up I always wondered why my skin was so dry and why I had dandruff so bad. No one in my family had dry skin or dandruff. I grew up poor so going to the doctor for dry skin wasn't going to happen. When I was around 19-20 years old I had small scaly circles come up on my arm. I didn't think anything of it until a news report came out about a skin disease that was killing people. Well I got worried and went to the ER. Was told by the doctor that I had psoriasis and it was nothing to be alarmed about.

My psoriasis didn't bother me so I didn't see a doctor about it. To tell you the truth I didn't think that there was any help out there for it. So I just drowned myself in scented lotions that was probably making it worse. I didn't know. LOL!!!

Well, I got married and as a new married couple, we struggled. In more ways than one. I found out that he wasn't very faithful to me. One night I woke up in pain and a little bleeding (from scratching in my sleep) around my private area. I went straight to the ER. The doctor that looked at me took about 5 seconds to tell me that I had herpes. WHAT?!!!! I told her that was impossible. The only person I have been with was my husband. Well, she just gave me a look like "Yeah, Right" So I went home and me and him had some pretty heated words. Long story short I ended up leaving him.

So I just live my life the best I could. Got remarried to a man that wanted me to get help for my psoriasis because it now was a major part of me. Half my face, my hands, feet, creases of my legs--it was everywhere. The creases of my legs were black and smelled like rotten meat. The bottom of my hands and feet hurt so bad and seeped blood and fluid. I was miserable.

I went to see a gynecologist first because I had lost 3 babies. I told him that I was diagnosed with herpes in my early twenties. After blood work and an exam, he told me that I didn't have herpes. That I had psoriasis. I was so shocked. He couldn't believe that a doctor mistook psoriasis for herpes. He set me up with a wonderful dermatologist.

The dermatologist that he set me up with tried everything that he could think of to help my psoriasis. I called myself his guinea pig. I was willing to do just about anything I had to. I was put on Enbrel injection. It worked really good but I stayed sick all the time. So then he put me on Humira. Same outcome. Then he tried me on Methotrexate. Worked GREAT. Took it for a number of years. But had to stop it about a year and a half ago. My blood work was coming back bad. So he decided to try me on another injection--Cosentyx. It worked great too. But had the same outcome that I did with the others. He pretty much told me that his hands were tied. He was at a loss and didn't know what else to do. So he put me in touch with another doctor that he called a guru.

As I went to my first doctor's appointment with the new doctor I was a little down. But it was Halloween and this man came in dress as some kind of Swedish woman. All I could do was laugh. He was awesome. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays so he fit right in. LOL!!!! Fake eyelashes, corset, heels, the works. LOL!!!! I could tell by the way he was rattling off words that I have never heard of that he knew what he was doing. Put me on Stelara injection and a treatment for my hands and feet. I have only been seeing him for 4 months and my psoriasis is doing great. No reactions to this injection and I am praying that I don't have any.

To everyone that has psoriasis. DON'T GIVE UP! Be a guinea pig. See more than one doctor and maybe they can help you together. It took 3 doctors to turn a bad diagnosis into what I have today. Take that extra mile. I travel 3 hours to Dallas to see this Dr. Will he be my last defense? Probably not. LOL!!! I have found out that no matter how much of a handle you think you have on psoriasis that in reality, you don't. It is so much more than skin deep. Good luck.