For the past year, I have been battling palmo-plantar psoriasis (psoriasis on both hands and both feet)...Although recently, it has traveled to both legs this is only within the last two months.
Up until July of 2007, I was blessed with extraordinary good health. Although I am 50 years old, and was 49 at the time this all happened, I felt like I was in my twenties. I am a private personal fitness trainer, an avid runner. I teach strength training as well as many other forms of fitness training. Other than having my two children, I was never in the hospital.
I had a pedicure in July of 2007 and the technician scraped off too much skin on the bottoms of my feet. Within 48 hours, I developed blisters all over the bottoms of my feet, making it difficult to walk, to say the least. I was also going on vacation with my two kids at the time. To get through vacation, I bought tons of bandaids, lotions, creams...you name it, I had it. I catered to my feet 24 hrs. a day in order to just walk. About a month went by and I noticed a red line going up my ankle - I went to the doctor & was diagnosed with cellulitis. I was given an antibiotic and within a few weeks, the infection started to go away. Within a few weeks of that, I noticed red bumps on my hands. I went to the doctor again & had a biopsy done. The pathology was not done properly and I was misdiagnosed with "skin hypersensitivity" and given topical steriods. I ended up in the emergency room that Christmas of 2007 since the skin condition had gotten out of control. I was put on prednisone...I got very sick from the medication and had to be weaned off. The skin condition came back full force. It was now on both hands, both feet and spreading.
I had a gazillion tests & was given many different topical steriods. I still had no diagnosis. By this time, I just couldn't even walk without pain. It was like my feet were in a fireplace of broken glass -- as awful as that sounds. Since I operate a sole proprietorship fitness business, I had to close my studio for a month and stay off my feet. I went from running four times a week to not even being able to walk...all I could do was sit. I fell into a depression & became reclusive. If I did not have my kids, I honestly don't know what I would have done to find some hope.
I then found another doctor who diagnosed me & although I have tried a couple of things medication wise with him that did not agree with me -- methotrexate for one -- I like him and I feel I have finally found a person that will help me. I am currently doing NB/UVB three times per week on my hands, feet and legs.
Currently, I am still battling this condition & will have to learn to manage it for the rest of my life because it is chronic. Generally, psoriasis is inherited in the family genes (no one in my family has this condition) or it is introducted into the body through skin trauma, which is how I was exposed.
Right now though, I can walk, I am back at work and I've even run a couple of times! I do pay a bit of a price for the running but I deal with that by pampering my feet...the running is so good for my spirit, so I pick my spots to do it.
The most I can hope for is that th is goes into remission for awhile. I am trying to focus on the positive and look forward to when I don't have to wear gloves anymore everywhere I go (people love to stare) & I don't have to lather on a ton of creams, lotions & whatever else on my feet before I get out of bed.
So, before you have that pedicure think of my experience. I went to have my feet bathed, pampered and polished & I came out with a chronic condition that has altered my life in ways I could have never imagined.
Blessings to all ...
Pam