RolandOfGilead
First Post
Angelsboi,
I just wanted to share my story with you, for what its worth.
I have a debilitating hereditary skin condition - Psoriasis. In fact, I have a severe case of this atrocious disease. The year I discovered I had this disease was coincidentaly the 12th year of my life, right at puberty. Can you imagine the self loathing one feels at 12? I hated myself for years. I wore long shirts to hide my arms, hats to hide my hair - because psoriasis sheds at extremely high rates, I'd often have a head full of dandruff within minutes of a shower. The disease is incurable; the only treatments that exist have side effects that are dangerous, if not deadly. In fact, throughout my life, I've done them all, to NO effect whatsoever.. I've had Ultraviolet light radiation treatments, Steroid treatments that were so powerful one could only be on them every other week, I've put friggin TAR on my head. 35% of those afflicted with psoriasis attempt suicide by the age of 50, and most of them do not have "severe" psoriasis (clinically, severe means over 70% body affected by the red patches and scales). Scientists recently discovered that Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease; essentially, my immune system attacks my skin cells, because it sees them as a foreign invader or infection.
In fact, I'm trying a new medication: one for transplant patients, that suppresses your immune system - its dangerous, because of the risk of infection and it damages your kidneys. I have to get a kidney check at the end of this month.
So what do you say? I'll trade you immune systems
Seriously though, I would gladly suffer psoriasis for all my life, which I likely will, if it resulted in the net gain of your cure. Life,
human suffering, common bonds.
Roland Of Gilead
I just wanted to share my story with you, for what its worth.
I have a debilitating hereditary skin condition - Psoriasis. In fact, I have a severe case of this atrocious disease. The year I discovered I had this disease was coincidentaly the 12th year of my life, right at puberty. Can you imagine the self loathing one feels at 12? I hated myself for years. I wore long shirts to hide my arms, hats to hide my hair - because psoriasis sheds at extremely high rates, I'd often have a head full of dandruff within minutes of a shower. The disease is incurable; the only treatments that exist have side effects that are dangerous, if not deadly. In fact, throughout my life, I've done them all, to NO effect whatsoever.. I've had Ultraviolet light radiation treatments, Steroid treatments that were so powerful one could only be on them every other week, I've put friggin TAR on my head. 35% of those afflicted with psoriasis attempt suicide by the age of 50, and most of them do not have "severe" psoriasis (clinically, severe means over 70% body affected by the red patches and scales). Scientists recently discovered that Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease; essentially, my immune system attacks my skin cells, because it sees them as a foreign invader or infection.
In fact, I'm trying a new medication: one for transplant patients, that suppresses your immune system - its dangerous, because of the risk of infection and it damages your kidneys. I have to get a kidney check at the end of this month.
So what do you say? I'll trade you immune systems
Seriously though, I would gladly suffer psoriasis for all my life, which I likely will, if it resulted in the net gain of your cure. Life,
human suffering, common bonds.
Roland Of Gilead
