Carry On Again Doctor...

Back to the hospital the end of last week in regards to my psoriasis which was fun.

As regular readers may know I've had a few (major) bouts of psoriasis the last few years which my doctor reckons is stress related (which kinda makes sense), the last of which flared up round about the time I was sorting out Cassidy's college and Social Work situation meaning I've spent the last 8 or so months with about 70% of my body covered in what looks like dragon scales that bleed when I move.

Which is absolutely brilliant when coupled with that pesky Autistic body dysmorphia that a fair few of us have.

Luckily it's been getting a wee bit better of late, partly due to some terrific steroid spray from my doctor but mainly due to the changes that have occurred relating to Cass and college.

Plus it's the summer holidays so we get a wee bit of a break from traveling around all day and the like.

Yes believe it or not there are parents who actually do enjoy spending time with their kids.  

Shocking I know. 

 

"Don't attempt anything without the gloves!"

 

Anyway, as I said,  I finally got my dermatology appointment thru for last week so nervously went up to the hospital assuming that I'd get put on a course of light therapy (as in they use lights not that it's easy going or something) as I'd been offered that last time but my psoriasis ended up clearing itself in the waiting time.

The staff basically said not to have it but keep it in mind for if it ever came back, which I did when it did.

Makes sense really. 

So imagine my surprise when I got there to find that light therapy wasn't even to be considered but instead - after copious blood tests and an x-ray - I'd only have the choice of the high Scrabble scoring Methotrexate or Adalimumab, both of which seem really long term treatments with a hellish list of side effects.

As a plus point they did give me a few weeks to think it over.

Which would be OK if I hadn't received a phone call less thank 24 hours later saying I was booked in for a shed-load of vaccines that would be needed to take Methotrexate, which is the exact opposite to taking Adalimumab where you can't have any vaccines or something.

I tried to explain that I'd not decided on a treatment yet but they were convinced it'd be easier just just get all the jabs as they'd booked them already.

Gah.

Luckily information overload kicked in and I managed to persuade them to get in touch after my consultation instead and they agreed.

Phew.

  

Feeling oh so slightly stressed at this point (the girls - and Rho were away at a dance performance for the weekend so it was just myself and Cass at home) I decided to have a nice cuppa to relax.

This was interrupted almost immediately by another phone call, this time from the hospital. It seemed that there'd been an issue with my x-ray. It appeared that my mighty man-nips had shown up on the x-ray so I needed to go and get another.

Which is actually very funny, or would be if the initial chat hadn't been "We've discovered dark spots near your lungs". 

It'll come as no surprise to find I spent the whole of the weekend stressed to fuck and that my psoriasis has flared up again.

Joy.

So now I'm back to square one awaiting an appointment to see my doctor in the hope she'll stick up for me and get them to offer me light therapy.

Or at least when you explain that:

A. You're Autistic.

and

B. You have a stress-related condition.

to do your best not to stress the person out and leave them hanging.

Right now I think that the full body, bloodied dragon hide is actually preferable to the current stress caused.

So, how goes your week?