I was maybe 26 or 27 when I noticed a dime-sized spot on my left shin. At the time, I had a busy career in the music industry and I didn't have any other health issues, so I didn't pay too much attention to it. Figuring it was a fungal thing, I tried some creams that didn't work, and pretty soon other spots popped up: on my feet, in my ears -- the patches grew and now covered about 30 percent of my lower legs. The worst part was the itching. It's a daily frustration. If I could have gotten past the itching, I would have been okay. But even when you're busy you find yourself scratching. Sometimes it would get so bad I'd bleed. It was like having poison ivy all the time. Cold weather made the plaques and flaking worse, but when it was hot outside, the inflammation sometimes became unbearable. I was uncomfortable year-round.
I knew it was time to seek help when I left self-employment, changed careers and finally got health insurance. Without doing any tests, the doctor knew immediately I had psoriasis. My first dermatologist didn't do much for me, and it continued to get worse. Since βdoing nothing' wasn't helping, I went to see another dermatologist in the same office. For about a month or so I tried a promising biologic, but the side effects attributed to that medication were harsh. It was like having to choose between psoriasis or possible heart disease. I didn't want to take the risk. Next, we tried a steroidal spray -- one that cost over $300, even with insurance. My doctor found a discount program that lowered the cost, but this medication had side effects, too -- thinning my already thin skin. It did seem to help, but really it masked the problem, rather than fixing it. I went back to the doctor to try injections, suffering through 25 or 30 shots in just one sitting. The itching stopped, but who wants to go through pain like that all the time? Plus, after about a month or so, the itching came back. That's when I knew it was time to try a different route.
I started working on my health -- diet, exercise, natural topicals. I moisturized with coconut oil, which had good results in my ears. At that point, I stepped away from doctor-recommended treatments and went all natural. As much as the oil helped my ears, it didn't help my legs. I stopped doing outdoorsy stuff, stopped wearing shorts, pulled away from things I loved. Pretty soon I felt sorry for myself and fell into a depression. I was missing out on quality of life and decided I wanted to learn more about what I might face in the future. After joining several Facebook groups, I quickly realized there were people worse off than me. One guy had no flesh on his hands, couldn't work and was contemplating suicide on social media. That's when I stopped going back and forth on whether or not to treat my psoriasis. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I knew I needed to be part of the solution. I was not going to let psoriasis define me.
So I reached out to the National Psoriasis Foundation and told them my story. I wanted to inspire people. I started my own Facebook page - Adventuring For A Cure - and knew that for me taking back my love of the outdoors would be a big part of getting my life back, and maybe inspiring others to do the same. During this time I started working with Noreen, a Regional Director at the NPF, and she mentioned a new product coming to the market -- a natural, safe treatment. That's when she introduced me to Prosoria and its founder, Art Clapp. The first thing that impressed me about Art was that he has a genuine passion to help people and find a natural solution for psoriasis. After deciding I didn't want to risk harsh side effects anymore, hearing that Prosoria contains natural ingredients that are safe enough to eat was a relief.
Prosoria was different than anything else I've seen. The application process took about 15-20 seconds, tops, and it dried fast. Unlike other topicals I'd tried, Prosoria wasn't greasy and didn't show up on my skin all day. Plus, I saw results within days: the scaling had gone down, I could tell a difference. I saw pinkness, almost like new skin. I knew Art was onto something and that's why I'm here. I asked myself, βWould I recommend Prosoria to others?β 100% yes. There's nothing to lose here, only gain. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to recommend it, though, was because it's available over the counter. Just because someone doesn't have insurance doesn't mean they should suffer. With Prosoria, anyone can go online and get this without having to go back to the dermatologist again and again to try new treatments.
If you have psoriasis, you need to know you aren't alone. There are a lot of people from all walks of life who have psoriasis and are learning to deal every day. But coping isn't always enough. It's been about five months since I started Prosoria and I feel great. Looking down and seeing normal skin is cool. It's a good feeling.
It's been about ten years since my journey started and, at this point, I want to motivate others to give it a shot. Doing nothing will only yield negative results. Making the choice to try Prosoria was the best choice I've made for my psoriasis. I'm excited to be connected with Prosoria. They're intelligent, motivated, doing things the right way -- and committed to making a positive difference for people with psoriasis. When I started Adventuring for a Cure, I knew I didn't want psoriasis to define me. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of others living with psoriasis, and today, I'm proud to say I am.
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