The Good, The Bad and The Scaly

Day 6 ...

I keep looking at my skin, as if it's going to magically transform before my eyes ... and so far no miraculous transformations. I think the plaques might look a little thinner, but I'm not sure and I'm going to have to refer to photos I took on day 2. With Remicade, I remember right after my 3rd infusion (6 weeks in), talking on the phone with a friend and realizing, "Wow, under this flake it's not thick and red anymore. Wow, under this flake it's gone!"

I'm using some of the "approved" topicals - which are Class 6 - so very weak and not sure if they are giving me any additional relief. I've been using them on my arms and legs, since the plaques are out of control and burning, but I've decided not to use them on my "trunk" patches. These patches are going to be "control patches" - if they clear without any topical assistance, then I'll be convinced I'm not on the placebo (right now, I'm not convinced).

One change I did wake up with this morning was my pointer finger and my middle finger on my right hand were no longer swollen and painful and I could totally straighten my pointer finger for the first time in a month. I know that sounds like a positive result, but I've found the arthritis part of this disease to be "migratory" - meaning joints will hurt for a few days and then be fine and somewhere else may (or may not) start hurting. The strange thing about this was that the same joints hurt for so long.

Someone posted on the Inspire.com board that they've been on Apremilast for a month and started seeing results after Day One!!!! They said they had headache, nausea and vomiting and within a month saw significant results! Really cool to hear about the results.

My stomach has been a little wonky ... but that doesn't mean squat (no pun intended :-)), since my stomach tends to generally be a little wonky. The biggest symptom I'm feeling is the continued heartburn, which could be totally unrelated. I am still really fearful that I am in the 33% placebo group.

I've been reading a lot of folks posts on Inspire.com and some of the things that non-psoriatics would never even think twice about are top of mind for us - finding a hair dresser when your scalp is flaring, a masseuse when your skin is flaring, doctors, etc. We've all got our stories ... and I will save mine for another post ...