Rhiannon's Story

Rhiannon first shared her story with us back in 2023. Now, during Psoriasis Awareness Week, she shares an update with us including the impact psoriasis has on her mental health and why she's decided to raise money for the Psoriasis Association.

It has been 2 years since I last wrote my story and a lot has gone on in those 2 years.

In 2023 I had just started my new injections Adalimumab. After a few months on it my psoriasis was flaring up more than what the injections could handle and I was switched over to Secukinumab injections.

Since being on these injections my psoriasis is looking the best it's ever looked on my arms and legs.

But the side effects of these injections are harsh and have taken its toll on my body.

The last year or so due to psoriasis and no immune system, I have been diagnosed with Hidradenitis suppurativa which is sore lumps that are filled with pus that tend to develop on the chest, armpits and groin.

Some days I am in agony with not only my skin, but these lumps they tend to come in multiples. At one time I had 13 lumps across my chest and armpits the pain was unbearable and infected and was placed on 2 brands of antibiotics and

as well as antibiotic creams which will then cause them to burst, sometimes it leads to scaring depending on how big the lumps were to start with.

It's not just about having psoriasis it's about the side that no one sees... The constant blood tests, the constantly low iron, the fatigue, nausea, the other side effects of medication, having to be careful of products you use including certain washing up liquids and hand soaps. The painful joints questioning is this psoriatic arthritis developing. The mental side of having psoriasis is hard, the many questions that swim around your head when your unable to sleep at night from being in pain, and the way it looks wishing you had 'normal' skin rather than it being itchy, sore and bleeding. The self esteem.

I have decided to raise money for the psoriasis association because it's a cause very close to my heart and it's an association not many people are aware of, by fund raising every little helps for people like myself for research to happen to make our condition easier to live with and to hopefully find more treatments to help us as well as spreading awareness for both psoriasis and this Association.

You can donate to Rhiannon's fundraiser here.