RON’S STORY

Could you tell us about your experience with psoriasis?
I was diagnosed as a young boy – aged between 8 to 10 years old – by a doctor who was looking after my mum who also had psoriasis. I started with treatment, including all the normal creams, lotions, dressings, but nothing worked out for me. My mother went through a lot of UV treatment, however, I did not go down that road because I saw the effects it had on her.
I had psoriasis on my kneecaps, elbows, behind the ears and a few other spots, so going through school was really difficult. Everyone thought I had leprosy. As I grew up, I was fine with it as I came to terms with having it and just tried to continue living my life as ‘normally’ as possible. Overall, I think dressing in summer gear and going out with friends were probably the worst things. When going out for dinner, I had to make sure to wear long shirts so as to not leave flakes on the dinner table.

How did you come to be a patient at the Skin Health Institute?
As my sister was diagnosed with psoriasis at a later age as well, she has been coming to the Institute for quite some time. She had it quite heavily on her face, and her results from the clinical trials were great. Before coming to the Institute, she also went through UV treatment, and – consequently – lost elasticity in her skin. Another reason for me to not consider this type of treatment.

Had you heard about the Institute before being a patient?
Not at all. I frankly never looked into it as I was going to live my life as it was. I lived with this skin disease for so long, so I thought I do not need anything. I thankfully moved into this area thanks to my sister. She has put me onto the clinic as she has been an existing patient there, and I decided to give it a try.

What was your experience at the Skin Health Institute like?
I had a very good experience. I went to see three to four doctors overall, and all of them were really good, extremely knowledgeable and welcoming when it comes to questions of any type about the clinical trials. They explain everything in great detail (i.e. about trial requirements, changes that occur, etc) and gave me answers in laymen terms.
I have always been – and still am – fully aware of everything they do thanks to their transparency throughout. This is why I am still going back to the Institute to continue my treatment when necessary.

How did the Skin Health Institute help you manage your skin condition?
My treatments comprised creams and injections. However, the injections were much better as they had a much bigger impact than the creams – they worked almost immediately with greater long-term effect. Especially the last 12 months have been terrific for my skin. The psoriasis came right down, and it is barely noticeable that I had the skin condition at all.

Have any aspects of your life been positively affected by the treatment of your psoriasis?
It just made me more comfortable around people. I don’t have to worry about scaling off at the table anymore. People always think I had a motorbike accident since not everyone knows what psoriasis is and they certainly turn their eyes a bit. But it is what it is, and it is definitely very good now.
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Are you struggling with psoriasis? You may be eligible for one of our currently recruiting psoriasis trials.