DAVID BROWN: My name is David.
My wife and I got married
a little over two years ago.
And we are expecting
our first baby on January 1st.
I was diagnosed with psoriasis
when I was a teenager.
I first started with just some
scabs on my fingers.
It was embarrassing having
these dry patches and open sores
that looked like they were
bleeding.
I didn't really have very much
control over when it would flare
up.
And other than taking
some medication for it,
that was the only option.
I work in IT, and when trying
to conduct business with people
and, you know, you've got
to shake everybody's hand when
you meet them.
And, sometimes, you don't want
to shake mine.
The way I understand it,
psoriasis is effectively
the skin regenerating faster
than normal in certain areas.
It doesn't get a chance to fully
develop, and it begins to just
flake off.
It never really itched for me
that bad, but it was painful,
from time to time.
I never noticed anything myself
that specifically triggered
the psoriasis.
It seemed like sometimes
the drier weather kind
of encouraged it a little bit
more.
I was prescribed a couple
of different types of creams
that I could apply, but I wasn't
supposed to use them everyday.
It was supposed be just
for bad flare ups.
When I did use it,
it more or less masked it.
But it was always still there.
Psoriasis was more
of an embarrassment thing
than anything else at all.
If I was to give any kind
of encouragement,
I think it would be that it can
get better
with the right treatments,
and over time.
So it's not something that you
will necessarily be stuck
with forever.
If i had advice for someone
would be to see your doctor,
follow the treatments,
but to keep your chin up,
because it's not going to be
something that's going to be
completely disabling on you.
