Feelings

This blog will not be about what psoriasis is, rather it will be about moving forward with this condition. I would love to see this blog become a support system and/or a space to share each of our voices, feelings, emotions, as well as lived experiences and realities.

A little bit about me: My name is Farhin Jahan and I currently live in Toronto. I aspire to be a social worker in the future - hopefully =) I have completed my Hons. B.A. in Sociology and Women & Gender Studies at University of Toronto. 

It has been 9 months that I have been living with severe psoriasis. It first started, or to be more precise, I first noticed a few spots on my scalp and on my back. However, since November it has spread all over my body. Yes, my experience is very recent and in one instance it has also become severe. I have learned that I am mostly affected with plaque psoriasis as well as inverese psoriasis on the sensitive areas.

On the other hand, I have not been under any treatment till date, but it will begin in March. So far, I have used topical medications; specifically, dovobet gel and emo-cort or otherwise known as hydrocortisone. However, the help/benefit of these above prescribed ointments are quite limited. Instead, what I have found helpful thus far are the homeopathic/natural medications that I have been taking since December. Surely, the healing process with homeopathic medications are really lengthy and you do need a lot of patience...But, a huge benefit of these natural medications are precisely that, they are natural and as a result they have no side effects. It has been 3 months that I've been taking my homeopathic medications and thankfully I am seeing visible changes as well as improvement. These small yet significant changes are also contributing to my psychological and emotional well-being.

People with psoriasis know that along with this being a physical skin condition, psoriasis also affects our emotional and psychological well-being. Thankfully, I am gradually regaining my inner peace that I lost post-psoriasis...slowly but surely... =)

Intertwined with our lived experiences are the interactions and encounters with the Public Health System. Whether it be hospitals, clinics both walk-ins as well as medical centres, emergencies, dermatologists, and even family physicians - I believe that most of us know how those interactions/encounters end up. For one, almost always we need to be well prepared for the tidal wave - better known as waiting - that heads our way.

The current healthcare system still functions from a medical model; a necessary but sufficient shift away from this model needs to happen (more on this later). I am hopeful that someday in the near future this will happen until then we do what we've always been doing and still do - which is wait... 


❤