Hi, I’m Joni.
I was diagnosed with guttate psoriasis when I was 15 and recently diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 38. Being a teenager with psoriasis made me feel secluded and incredibly self-conscious. Growing up with this disease has impacted my confidence and relationship with my body.
I refuse to let psoriasis define who I am, but it has given me a new purpose and community. It has helped me become more aware of what my body + mind need in order to live a happier, healthier life. I never want to let my diagnosis’s stop me from doing the things that bring me happiness.
This blog is for sharing my personal experiences living with psoriasis and now psoriatic arthritis. I ask you to keep in mind that we are all different. Something that may work for me, may not be the best approach to take for you. I am not a health care professional, so I highly recommend that before starting any treatment you talk to your health care team.
Thanks for following me on twitter. I wish you all the best with your blog. I’d be the first financial sponsor if you are planning to put together a project to help people with psoriasis okay? VPF is my pet project. Unfortunately, I can only put in an hour every month to work on it. It’s difficult to fly solo.
S.
Thanks vanpf888, always great to connect with people who have similar goals! I’m currently focused on the blog, but once I have room to grow into a larger project I’ll definitely keep you in mind. Thanks again for your support 🙂
i just now sent you follow requset ,i have mild sysmptoms of pserosis
Hey, thanks for following me, you have a great blog – I think we have similar goals, and I hope we can work together at some point 🙂 I’d love to do a profile on you for my blog for starters! Would you be up for that?
Thanks so much Hannah, I’m really enjoying your blog! I’d absolutely be up for that! Please email me at justagirlwithspots@gmail.com. Thanks so much!
Cant wait to start reading your blog!
I have psoriasis as well and was diagnosed when I was 11.
Im currently trying a raw food and vegan lifestyle to see if it will help get rid of it.
Best of luck!
Thanks so much for reading & taking the time to comment. I’m looking forward to your comments and any feedback on topics you’d like to read about! Good luck with the raw food/vegan lifestyle, I’d love to hear your progress!
Hi, I have had psoriasis since I was 14 so that would be 26 years. I believe it is in the food as well. I read some where when studying natural medicine that citrus is a reactor to psoriasis. So I gave up all citrus. No more oranges or lemons or limes, even gave up pineapple. I no longer have break outs now. It took my body 6-8 months to become completely clear but I have been psoriasis clear for 3 years now. I occasionally get one or two spots here and there but no patches ever again. I have also read that wheat is a big cause for psoriasis of the scalp. So I am gluten and wheat free as well. A food allergy could be the cause and citrus has been proven to be the biggest food allergy for psoriasis.
Hello I am new here. I have psa (psoriatic arthritis). Funny you mentioned citrus. I am in the beginning of a huge flare up on my scalp. I drink iced tea with lime. I have used it a lot lately due to the heat. I’ve just stopped citrus’s. I’m about to see my dermatologist for a steroid shot or shots to calm it down. I’m so happy to have found this blog. I will post my results on stopping citrus.
Glad to see someone else sharing the news that psoriasis is not just a dermatological disorder, lesions being just a topical physical manifestation of an immune system gone haywire. After 11 years struggling with this disease, my psoriatic arthritis is getting progressively worse every year and there’s little that can be done about it.
Hi Rodger, thanks for reading and taking a moment to comment. Totally agree with you – there’s something inside our bodies causing the physical reaction and I want to spread the love that we’re not alone in dealing with this condition. I hope you can find something soon to ease your pain, it’s not easy getting through the days when you’re hurting. Best of luck to you.
I have been using Enbrel shots once a week for my Psoriatic Arthritis for awhile now and it really helps .And Enbrel helps pay for some that my insurance doesn’t. Good Luck with your struggles.
I’m so glad that the Enbrel is working and they’re helping with the cost. It’s always such a win when you finally find something that helps. Best wishes to you!
I’m finding similar results. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and psoriatic arthritis. My story is too long to put it here. I’m very happy to have found this blog today. Psoriasis is a serious disorder and has very negative health consequences. For someone to say it’s about vanity is just plain insulting. I understand what your saying very well.
awesome!! great to see another person confidently discussing experiences with psoriasis! much respect!
Thanks so much, I really appreciate your comments!!
My name is Lizzy, I’m 21. I had perfectly clear skin up until almost two years ago. Though I’ve always had joint problems.. It took all sorts of doctors an entire year to realize it was, in fact, psoriasis. At that point, it had covered 90% of my body and I couldn’t get it under control. Every time I would move or even breath my skin would tear and bleed. I’ve never known anyone with psoriasis so trial and error was my only method and my doctors knew almost nothing about how to help me. All they said was I was the most severe case they’d ever seen, including in books. They even took pictures. I had to quit my job because I could no longer perform simple tasks required to get my job done. I wouldn’t go out for the longest time, my entire face was one big red spot. No clear skin to be seen. The only thing that hurt worse than smiling was crying. I’d get so frustrated but I had to try not to cry. The salty tears burned so bad. I felt so helpless. It got to the point I could barely get out of my bed and when I did there was so much blood and dead skin on my sheets that I had to change them. I have multiple forms of psoriasis, the newest of which being psoriatic arthritis so bad I can barely move my fingers or get out of a chair. I’m now on enbrel and methotrexate but I still currently am having a really hard time with a terrible breakout on my chest and the arthritis and have been feeling so out of place and uncomfortable that at times death almost seems welcoming. Though don’t get me wrong. I’d never want to kill myself. I just feel like giving up. Some days I wonder how I’ve even managed thus far. It’s so relieving to find a blog that I can relate to and to know there are other people out there going through similar things. From what I’ve read, you seem to know your stuff and I was wondering if we could keep in touch, there’s so much I don’t know about this disease and I think it’s staying bad because of it…
Hi Joni,
It is nice to come across your blog and see a young beautiful lady behind it. It is hard being younger and trying to keep up with style and self confidence when you are battling spot all over your body. Your awesome!!! I would like to add I have read some of the things from your other readers and seen that a lot of ppl have started breaking out with PS when they were young- it’s crazy to think that I just went to my dermatologist because my 6 yr old had spots all over his stomach and back- I am still pretty sure that it is PS. The dr and his MA wanted to tell me that it is too rare to see PS in ppl under 30….WHHHATTTTT???!!! I am so outraged at this. This is not rare, it runs in the family and I even started to have PS when I was 11 years old and I am not even 30!!!! Do we know more than the derms????!!!!
But anyways thanks again for your blog and letting me know that I have a spots like a leopard lol 🙂
Hi Francesca, Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. I truly appreciate it! I can’t believe that a derm nowadays would believe it’s still rare to see someone under 30 with psoriasis. A large majority of the people I talk to were diagnosed as a child or in their teens. Definitely time for a new doctor! Go with your gut, it sounds like you do know more him. Thanks again for stopping by and let me know if there is anything in particular you’d like to read more about. Best, Joni
I’m new here and just wanted to add something from my experience about Psoriatic Arthritis, psoriasis etc. I’ve had some form of psoriasis from childhood. It began in my feet it is now on my scalp. Lesions itching, it was so painful. The Dr’s told had no idea what it was. At 42 I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis and secondary diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. So contrary to what some physicians say the disease is not rare in children.
Hello Joni,
Thanks for following me on twitter…Like you I want to something to help others with our condition. That is why I started a FB page dedicated to Psoriasis and PSA Patients. It’s callled “Psoriasis Campaign for a Cure” I would love to share your blog on there if you don’t mind. You have a wonderful smile and a get approach to your disease. I love it! Keep up the good work. Thank you…
Todd Bello
Hi Joni!
I have been following your blog for a while now and appreciate your not being afraid to speak out about this disease. Many people shy away from addressing it publicly; I know I personally have had trouble coming to terms with psoriasis and the social consequences and baggage it comes with.
In order to overcome my hesitations, I started a blog which talks about natural, healthy and holistic treatments for psoriasis, such as diet, exercise and even meditation. I would love to do a guest post on your blog sharing some of the knowledge I have gained from 10 years of grappling with the disease. let me know if you’d be interested!
Cheers!
Hi Matthew,
Thanks so much for stopping by! I’d love for you to do a guest post, I love anything natural and holistic when it comes to psoriasis healing. Please email me at justagirlwithspots@gmail.com to discuss more.
Best, Joni
I’m Inspired by you joni. I know how it feels having psoriasis in your life. I too, have this condition since I was 16. bullying only made it worst, but I never gave up. I too want to share what I learn and your blog also provided me a lot of information to help me with my psoriasis. I now live a happier life with changing my diet with natural, organic foods as well as a whole new natural superfood. If you want to know about please email me and I can tell you all about it.
Today , my doc told me that I have PS. Not sure how to take it in. How to move forward. Need people to discuss and guide me through. It’s just day 1 panic .
As someone who has lived with this since I was 5 or 6. This was very refreshing holds a place in me. Good to see you take it and own who you are:)