What's it like having psoriasis?

[Grizzly Bear]

Yep, I meant the clammy sheets too..  
Love the cats, my cat Oliver looks like that and he's always licking me. I try to not squeal because in his mind he's doing me a favour but I hate it when pets lick you!

Turnedlight, i'm so sorry, yes, it was your post that i read about clingy clothing.
I will endeavor to try harder to remember things  
Here, will these make you forgive me .......?

I have 3 cats.
2 furry daughters & a furry son lol
My furry son licks me on the odd occasion. His tongue is like rough sandpaper lol
Bless them

A very familiar story , yes it's a very embarrassing disease and swimming in public swimming pools was off limits for me, I didn't have the balls to try to go in , my swimming was in the sea where no one could see me .

Same here, i would go to a place that had no one around.
Had to drive miles to find a quiet spot.  

We have a pool in the back yard (just one of those above ground types but large enough to relax in) and at my worst, I wouldn't even go swimming in it.  It wasn't self consciousness that bothered me, just that I didn't want to shed all those scales in the pool!  Perhaps a bit silly of me and I think I'll get some swimming in this year (or splashing anyway, it's only 4 feet of water and 24 feet across)

You lucky lady Kat.  
Did Mr Kat build it ?

Never boring mate, having to listen to my sister go on about her dog for hours for me is boring.

Anyway I digress....

Everyone has a valid opinion and yours is just as valid as everyone else's I find it interesting reading everything people have been through with P, for a long time I've never really spoken to anyone about it, as Fred said earlier everyone and there dog has an opinion things to try etc etc, even though they mean well they seem to get offended when you say hey thanks for the suggestion but it wont work or tired it etc etc, with creams and stuff I never put them on just before i'm going to bed, or if i do it'll only be on my hands and face.

I'm with you on swimming in the Bristol channel, if i wanted the ready brek glow I'd eat some not going swimming in nuclear waste, I'm also with you on wearing long sleeves in hot weather and being looked at like a crazy fool.

The only thing I am determined with though, is this thing will not beat me. I will not surrender to it, and it will not stop me from doing what I want to do.

Bav, do people look at you oddly when you wear long sleeved shirts etc on a hot day ?

If someone stares at me, i tend to stare back as if to say.......**** off  

@Grizzly Thank you for you input.

#1 I know Bournemouth, Nice

#2 I can't/don't want to swim, but that is a good idea to have a psoriasis and/or other skin complaints only day, I'm sure it would encourage others to have a go.

#3 It all makes sense to me, and I'm sure others can relate.

#4 Re Cotton Clothing: Yes most of my clothing is cotton, especially underclothes, T-shirts, and Trousers.  

A couple of years ago I got into Bamboo Socks they are fantastic, spend a little bit extra on them and don't go cheap.

We also have Egyptian cotton sheets, pillow cases, and quilt covers. A bit more expensive but sooooooooooooooooooooooo comfy and cosy.

Oh and on a side note, if you live in a hard water area get yourself a water softener it will help immensely. (I don't' sell them or have involvement with any company, but can recommend a reasonably priced source for Europe) Ever been to a hotel and after your shower your skin feels all nice and soft? It's down to the Water Softener.  

Yes Fred, i have a water filter jug & a filter kettle too.

The water here on Exmoor is medium to soft so having a shower tends to make my skin feel good.

I would say that it makes my skin as soft as a babies bum but i would be fibbing because it feels like a cheese grater.

Right, off to find my last remaining brain cell.....or i could go & scrub up with some of my wiffy pine tar stuff

By the way everyone, it will be xmas soon

[bav101]

Yes mate i get the weirdest looks, I just tell them i'm cold which makes them have the wtf did he just say expression.

I've also got annoyed with people staring at my face when I've had patches of P on there before now to one guy I've just been like.. what you staring at have i got something on my face or something? then asked him if he had a mirror so i could check, he freaked and was like er.. no er.. looked seriously uncomfortable and walked away. A few of my other work colleagues knew exactly what it was, I've always been very open with people I've worked with. Just so they know its not contagious etc and that if i should leave any flakes behind, its not intentional but its like I've never gone away because I've left a little piece of me behind.

[Fred]

should leave any flakes behind, its not intentional but its like I've never gone away because I've left a little piece of me behind.

I like that.

We will never ask anyone to sweep up after their visit here, so flake away we don't mind.

[Grizzly Bear]

Sweep up ?

I've got a Dyson hoover.

I then send my flakes to Kellogg's to make their Corn Flakes !

Ok, i'll take my meds lol

[Kat]

We have a pool in the back yard (just one of those above ground types but large enough to relax in) and at my worst, I wouldn't even go swimming in it.  It wasn't self consciousness that bothered me, just that I didn't want to shed all those scales in the pool!  Perhaps a bit silly of me and I think I'll get some swimming in this year (or splashing anyway, it's only 4 feet of water and 24 feet across)

You lucky lady Kat.  
Did Mr Kat build it ?

No, it's just one of those you buy at a pool store and they come set it up for you. Basically it's an extra large splash pool, but is large enough each of the grandkids have learned to swim in it so it's served it's purpose. Also large enough to just do a bit of floating around in. My list of wants includes a deck to go around it which may or may not ever happen. Once the grandkids move out (or grow up, whichever comes first) I don't see me and Mr. Kat wanting to do the maintenance on it as we're not getting any younger. Right now daughter does all the pool cleaning and checking levels, etc.

[Grizzly Bear]

We have a pool in the back yard (just one of those above ground types but large enough to relax in) and at my worst, I wouldn't even go swimming in it.  It wasn't self consciousness that bothered me, just that I didn't want to shed all those scales in the pool!  Perhaps a bit silly of me and I think I'll get some swimming in this year (or splashing anyway, it's only 4 feet of water and 24 feet across)

You lucky lady Kat.  
Did Mr Kat build it ?

No, it's just one of those you buy at a pool store and they come set it up for you.  Basically it's an extra large splash pool, but is large enough each of the grandkids have learned to swim in it so it's served it's purpose.  Also large enough to just do a bit of floating around in.  My list of wants includes a deck to go around it which may or may not ever happen.  Once the grandkids move out (or grow up, whichever comes first) I don't see me and Mr. Kat wanting to do the maintenance on it as we're not getting any younger.  Right now daughter does all the pool cleaning and checking levels, etc.

Ah, i see.

We don't have pool stores but have certain shops that do have simular things Kat.

[jiml]

Must be great living in a climate where having an outside pool would be useful in a private garden I would be in it every day , I love swimming

[bav101]

Must be great living in a climate where having an outside pool would be useful in a private garden I would be in it every day , I love swimming

I'd love a pool, but lets be honest in the UK it would be a private ice skating rink most of the year.

[Fred]

Another thing I forgot to mention about What's it like living with psoriasis, it's your GP. He/she is just not qualified enough to understand, yes he/she has to follow a protocol as do the dermatologists but I feel had mine have not fobbed me off and told me to use Head and Shoulder shampoo which made it worse but told me to see a dermatologist earlier it may not have been so bad at the beginning.

Having said that my first experience of a dermatologist was wait for an hour as everyone else in the waiting room has the same appointment time as you, then go into a cold cubicle and remove your clothes and stand there like a (well you know the saying) suddenly this grumpy old bloke in a white coat comes in and says "Aha Psoriasis take this poison Methotrexate all will be fine come back in six months.

Hell I nearly died from taking that stuff, I had no instructions on when to take it, I had one blood test and when I went to my GP with a stomach problem he said what the hell are you doing taking this amount every week.

I said that Twat you sent me to said it's good stuff, anyway I ended up trying Light treatment next that was funny as the nurse used to put her goggles on and sit next to me to get a sun tan from this huge round light. That done nothing much and I gave up, I just kept getting repeat prescriptions for Dovonex and Dodovbet and muddled my way through it.

Then one day psoriatic arthritis paid me a visit, I got the same old crap "Take Methotrexate it will be fine" Again I gave up and lived with it by popping loads and loads of pain killers to get me through the day, I found out they went well with Cannabis and a shot of Southern Comfort in a pint of Special Brew.

It wasn't till I moved to France and one day I couldn't move as psoriatic arthritis had taken over my whole body. that I got admitted to hospital and they sorted me out.

I sometimes think you youngsters are so lucky today as things have moved on, but then sometimes I think have they? Some members are getting excellent treatment whereas some are getting the treatment I had 35 years ago. Hell some are still to this day making their own concoctions, and some are falling into the same trap as many of us have and are throwing their money down the drain on false promises.  

That was a discreet way of Fred bringing this thread   but all what I said is true.

[D Foster]

Another thing I forgot to mention about What's it like living with psoriasis, it's your GP. He/she is just not qualified enough to understand, yes he/she has to follow a protocol as do the dermatologists but I feel had mine have not fobbed me off and told me to use Head and Shoulder shampoo which made it worse but told me to see a dermatologist earlier it may not have been so bad at the beginning.

Having said that my first experience of a dermatologist was wait for an hour as everyone else in the waiting room has the same appointment time as you, then go into a cold cubicle and remove your clothes and stand there like a (well you know the saying) suddenly this grumpy old bloke in a white coat comes in and says "Aha Psoriasis take this poison Methotrexate all will be fine come back in six months.

Hell I nearly died from taking that stuff, I had no instructions on when to take it, I had one blood test and when I went to my GP with a stomach problem he said what the hell are you doing taking this amount every week.

I said that Twat you sent me to said it's good stuff, anyway I ended up trying Light treatment next that was funny as the nurse used to put her goggles on and sit next to me to get a sun tan from this huge round light. That done nothing much and I gave up, I just kept getting repeat prescriptions for Dovonex and Dodovbet and muddled my way through it.

Then one day psoriatic arthritis paid me a visit, I got the same old crap "Take Methotrexate it will be fine" Again I gave up and lived with it by popping loads and loads of pain killers to get me through the day, I found out they went well with Cannabis and a shot of Southern Comfort in a pint of Special Brew.

It wasn't till I moved to France and one day I couldn't move as psoriatic arthritis had taken over my whole body. that I got admitted to hospital and they sorted me out.

I sometimes think you youngsters are so lucky today as things have moved on, but then sometimes I think have they? Some members are getting excellent treatment whereas some are getting the treatment I had 35 years ago. Hell some are still to this day making their own concoctions, and some are falling into the same trap as many of us have and are throwing their money down the drain on false promises.  

That was a discreet way of Fred bringing this thread   but all what I said is true.

Fred never was a truer word spoken.