Profile: The Autoimmune Disease, Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. The cause is not fully known, which is true of most autoimmune diseases. There is no cure and unlike many other autoimmune diseases it hits women and men equally. Well-known golfer Phil Mickelson suffers with psoriatic arthritis.

The following is an interview with a women who suffers with psoriasis.

1. What symptoms manifested that brought you to the doctor?

When I was eight-years-old, my parents noticed a few red patches on my stomach and back that were not going away. Without hesitation, they scheduled an appointment with the pediatrician to have my skin checked out.

2. When were you first diagnosed with psoriasis? What kind of doctor (s) did you see?

Since I was very young, when the red scaly patches started to appear, my first doctor's appointment was with the pediatrician. After a skin examination, he recommended that I visit a local dermatologist who might have a better idea of what the patches were and give a proper and confirmed diagnosis. During my first appointment with the dermatologist, my parents and I learned that the patches on my skin were symptoms of the chronic, autoimmune disease called psoriasis. As a child, I didn't really understand what psoriasis was, the full severity of the disease or how much it would impact my everyday life.

3. What was it like as a child growing up with psoriasis?

Living with psoriasis as a child was extremely difficult to endure especially on a daily basis. I struggled with the emotional and physical burdens of the disease. On top of the constant itching and pain I experienced from the plaques on my skin, I was often teased at school because of the way the tar shampoo and sulfa treatments made my skin smell. Even in social settings I could tell people had obvious issues with my psoriasis. One experience I will never forget occurred at church while I was with my family. During the traditional peace offering, I noticed grown adults avoiding to shake my hand because they thought my skin was contagious. Living with psoriasis as a child was a traumatic experience, to say the least.

4. What is it like now as an adult living with psoriasis?

As an adult, my experiences of living with psoriasis have been much like a roller coaster ride. I worked with my dermatologist and tried numerous treatments to help combat my psoriatic symptoms. At one point, psoriasis covered nearly 90 percent of my body. Following the start of my current treatment with Stelara only then did I experience for the first time in a long time, my symptoms being under control.

5. What kinds of treatments were you given as a child?

When I was first diagnosed with psoriasis as a child, my dermatologist prescribed tar and sulfa treatments - they smelled horrible, were an inconvenience to apply and not very effective.

6. Please talk about adult treatments and of course your current treatment?

Over the years, I have tried every psoriasis therapy available under the sun, including a variety of oral medications and UV therapy. Since I had very little success on these medications, my dermatologist and I decided to explore a new class of drugs called biologics. After nearly 5 years of receiving different biologic therapies, I began to lose response to the treatments I was taking and started to feel that I would never find a treatment that would work. Then, in 2009 when Stelara became available, I discussed the treatment with my dermatologist who agreed that it may be an effective option to help control my symptoms. I started the treatment several months ago and couldn't believe how fast it started to work. Within two weeks of my first injection, my entire body was nearly clear of psoriasis plaques.

7. What advice would you give the readers?

My advice to others living with psoriasis is to keep your spirits up and enjoy life to the fullest. Be educated and seek information on the different treatments available, as you can see that it was a long journey for me until I found relief with Stelara. After 50 years of red plaques covering my skin, I finally feel and look great and am so thankful to feel comfortable in and out of my skin and wish the same for people with this disease.