Pasta Sauce

http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/gluten_free_tomato_free_marinara_sauce-1771-1.html

Diet

The diet. The idea is wheat/gluten/dairy/nightshade free.

I'm not fully sure I'm intolerant to any of these, but it's certainly making me eat more healthily.

I tried that crazy shake on Tuesday. It was ridiculous. I have been guzzling fruit though

Lovely things:

• Lemon, ginger and honey drink. (WINNER!)
• Nairns gluten free muesli.
• Both rice and soy milk, surprisingly
• 9 bar... original

Slip ups
the rest of this entry is to be a list of my slip ups and guaranteed to be boring. Anyway:
Tuesday 1st march - diet started 8 pm - after pizza
2/3 - Milk with my muesli. Garlic bread. Garlic bread with cheese (I know)
3/3 - Milk with my muesli
5/3 - One piece of tempura

Holy crap my elbow is starting to clear! - Week 3

My right elbow in particular looks like it's down to a few small spots. Also, my arms have started to look clear since the weekend. That's less than 3 weeks into treatment. Still think the plaques are there in the shadows so continuing to Dovenex it  where there's any change in colour. Upper arms look clear, forearms are shadowy with spots on the soft underside and my hands are nearly skin-coloured but v. shadowy. My right hand is still covered - I think. Just today I think it's bordering on clear.

My left arm is the same as above but less so.

I'm not sure my legs are improving at all. My spots flattened almost immediately and are perhaps fading very slowly. I've only missed two applications out of 23 day's worth. I feel like the steroids help with the thick plaques but trying not to get dependent on them.

There's some flaking and I'm not sure whether it's a good or bad sign. The skin flakes but mostly around the outside of the plaques and the flakes are very soft and rollable. I'm kinda hoping it's the effect of the creams on the healthy skin around the p or (hope against hope) freshly healed skin.

Other health: Cold/cough turned up Sunday night after lurking for a while. Was pretty chesty all week. Think I'm better today although I feel some sinus pressure.

Started on the big diet too. Eliminated nothing officially yet but working on it.

Sunbeds

2 Feb - 3
4 Feb - 3
7 Feb - 3
8 Feb - 5 (burn)
14 Feb - 5
16 Feb - 5(burn)
21 Feb - 5
23 Feb - 5
1 Mar - 7
3 Mar - 7 (pink)
7 Mar - 7 (burn)

Sick

So I think the chest infection had been threatening for a few days. Was fine anyway until Sunday night about 8 o'clock. Then a cold hit me like a train. I suddenly felt exhausted and a bit miserable. Took the lemsip anyway and was ok driving back. Think the chest infection is clearing itself. Staying on the full vitamin doses until this clears up.

Vitamin D is supposed to prevent colds! Disgusted at this anecdotal unequivocal proof that it's completely useless.

Update: Cough ok on Thursday. Sinuses feel really full though.

Steroid

4: 25th feb
5: 28th feb

Alkaline Foods, Shake

Table @ http://www.phmiracleliving.com/t-approach.aspx
List @ http://www.greatestherbsonearth.com/articles/acid_alkaline.htm
 Totoro's shake:

http://www.psoriasis-help.org.uk/forum/index.php/topic,36860.msg491020.html#msg491020


(I’m using the upright Kenwood jug type that holds about 1500ml)

Fill half the blender with the lettuce.

A good handful of fruit – I’m using apples or tinned pineapple.
I also add a banana.

The chopped up Veg mix – should be about equal amounts of various veg
from list ie… Carrots, Celery, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Zucchini, Broccoli, Cauliflower.
Some Onion, about half per mix and some sprigs of parsley.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the apple juice (I have also used grape juice)

Add 1/2 cup of the soya, rice or oat milk (NOT Dairy!) ( I like rice better than soya )

Add the contents of one Green Tea Bag.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the olive oil (you don't taste it)
Add 1 full tablespoon of honey or pure maple syrup
Squeeze in the juice of about 1 lemon.
Add 1- 2 tablespoons flax-seed or some omega 3 oil.(I use that Cool oil stuff).
Put the blender lid on securely, blend for about 1 minute (until contents are smooth).
Add water as needed as we want it to become a smooth liquid easy to drink.
Like a Smoothie.

Avocado!

Itchiness

Been quite itchy today. Especially worried about my face as the last thing I want to do is tear the skin and cause a breakout. Bought Eurax and it seemed to stop the itchiness instantly. Can't find any references to Eurax and psoriasis online. Liking it so far.

Phase Three - The Scalp

Cocois - bought Wednesday 16th Feb. Used every night but Saturday.
Good Oil - Hemp Oil. Tried a bit.
Apple Cider Vinegar - Tried Friday 18th. Also on hand. Not sure.

After a week there's been no great improvement. The greatest thing I read about treating the scalp were the words NIT COMB. Seriously. My black outfits are safe again. Washing my hair in the morning is a pain too.

Update 3 Mar:

I've pretty much stopped for a week now. Need a clear out again.

Phase One - Fixin' the face

(To rhyme with slappin' da bass)
So the face plague turned up Wednesday 2nd Feb. Boo.
2 - 8th Feb:

• Dermalogica Microfoliant 
• Vaseline Intensive Rescue Healing & Repair Balm.
• Sunbed (3 + 3 + 3)

8 - 18th Feb:

• Silkis twice a day
• Microfoliant every second day
• Dermol to wash and moisturise
• Vaseline Balm
• Sunbed (5 + 5 + 5)

There was also a facial in Belfast that Saturday. Seemed to calm it but not sure how much difference it made.

By some miracle this worked. It was hard to tell from Wednesday 16th whether my forehead was clear, partially because of the sunburn. I finally realised Friday it definitely was. Gave it up for a week. Got an itchy spot over my eyebrow last night and I'll continue doing my scalpline/ nose spots and anything else that turns up.

But overall... Success!

Phase 2 - Fucibet

I realise I still have to write phase 1 but I don't want to lose track of this... I've applied fucibet to the biggest plaques 3 times now. About every second day and never the day before a sunbed. I'm hoping this means I won't get withdrawal from the steroid. The improvement was impressive, so fingers crossed. Have to keep in mind not to use it every day. Must start taking photos.

Knees...

Wanted to make a note of the knee thing. I'm not sure when the pain started but I imagine that's why I bought the Glucosamine last Thursday (17th Feb). It's very unusual for me. I've always suspected bad joints were on the way but I'm not sure what reason I had to believe that. I think it's particularly strange when I'd been on the omegas for nearly 2 weeks at that point.


Update 1st March -- knees are nearly better. Can't wear my low boots any more without insoles. Oops:)

Supplements 2

Maybe Sat 5th
Paradox - 3 x 1000mg - large long gel
Thursday - 17th Feb
Glucosamine/Chondroitin 3 x 400/100mg long beige cap
Vitamin D?(Boots) - 12.5 ug (500iu) tiny white flat
milkthistle (cheap) little yellow tab
Saturday - 19th Feb.
D3 - 5000 iu - roundy pointy clearish gel

multi - speckled tab
vit c - orangey smelling chewable

Supplements 1 - 26 Jan

T -1 week: When I got the tonsillitis I bought some dirt cheap vitamin C and multivitamin.

Vitamin C - 500 mg

A - 800

D3 - 5

E - 12

C - 80

Thiamin - 1.1

Riboflavin - 1.4

Niacin - 16

B6 - 1.4

Folacin - 200

B12 2.5

Panthothenic Acid - 6

Iron - 14

Zinc - 10

Iodine g - 150

Copper - 1

Manganese - 2

Doctors and beyond

So the visit to the doctors was a straightforward business. Got confirmation on what I'd pretty much guessed - that steroids don't do much good. (I'll modify that sentiment to read "on their own". Seems the psoriasis community does get through quite a lot of them). Got prescribed Dovonex, Silkis for my face and Dermol, both in a shower gel and pump bottle.

When I asked about light treatment she offered to refer me to a dermatologist but said I'd be better off going through BUPA. Turns out I'm not covered so must go back on the NHS list. Also asked about my eye and she said I'll need to see an ophthalmic surgeon but to worry about that later.

Face Plague

So my tonsillitis had cured on its own and I was pretty much better by Saturday.

Then on Monday (30th Jan) I started itching all over. I've never felt anything like it. By Tuesday I was into the worst guttate I've ever had and Wednesday morning - dun dun dun - it was all over my face. This was very upsetting. I tried not to think about it and put some makeup on and went to work.

Rang the doctor but wasn't going to get an appointment that week. Could have gone Monday but they can be busy so opted for first thing Tuesday(8th Jan). Spent that week exfoliating with Dermalogica Microfoliant and moisturising the hell out of it. I used Vaseline, Intensive Rescue Healing & Repair Balm. I was paying 4 pounds a bottle but at that point I did not care. I ended up cleaning the pharmacy out of it over the course of a few visits.

I was basically doing slightly less than maintenance at that point. I was able to go shopping that Saturday without makeup but it was back thick and red by Monday morning. The worst part of all was the feeling on my skin. I just remember rubbing gently to see if it was moisturised enough and the gritty sensation set my teeth on edge. It's a feeling I was used to on my legs but on my face it was a whole different level. I've had beauticians scold me since then for using the microfoliant but I still swear by it and have been on the lookout for a body version of the same thing since then.

The History

Some of the details here will be fuzzy but I'll get down what I can.

Got something like laryngitis at Christmas. It came and went with no great drama. I just lost my voice Christmas day and for a few days after.

About three weeks later I got a dose of guttate psoriasis. I don't remember how severe it was but I thought I could ignore it as I usually did.

Then I got a dose of tonsillitis on Tuesday the 25th Jan. Late that night I felt the lump in my neck and by the next day it was in full effect.

Went to the doctor's Wednesday and was told to ring on Thursday for an appointment on Friday to register. Joy. Definite green spots, the left tonsil looked like it had a mouth ulcer on it. Took Lemsip and Neurofen plus alternately so didn't overdose on either.

Woke Wednesday night in pain so took more Lemsip at about 2 in the morning. Slept pretty well then. Thursday was more of the same. I had a fever but didn't realise it at the time. It was a bad week in work so ended up in the office til after 8 every night. Checked my tonsils again and they were absolutely covered in green dots. I was fascinated by how defined and separate they were. Thursday night the cold was unbearable. I had my hot water bottle but I didn't feel like I desperately needed a painkiller last thing. Woke again at two, this time because the fever had broken and I had to remove all the layers I was wearing. Took another Lemsip at that point and slept fine again.

Registered at the doctors Friday morning. That went fine but I asked to see the doctor and when he came in he said it didn't look bacterial because there was no pus! Then it dawned on me I was better. All on my own. Boo. I said to the nurse one of the reasons I wanted antibiotics was so that I could prevent more psoriasis but she just nodded at that.

Not much I could do at that point.

A diary of little interest of others

I presume. I need to keep track of my psoriasis treatments so I can repeat what works and change what doesn't.