Dermatologist Review

I had yet another review with my dermatologist today. I can't believe that its been a month already since my last visit. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun.

Well at least the derm knows that my skin hasn't been improving since my last visit. I think he was surprised though. He said that the stuff I was using was awfully strong. Yes it is strong but I don't always believe that strong is always good.

I suggested that perhaps we go back to the stuff that I was using when I first started seeing him (coal tar based creams). Surprisingly, he agreed and wrote me a script for it. He stated that he had been omitting an ingredient from the scripts that he had written before & he is sure that this one will work since it did the job before.
I honestly cannot work out why on earth he kept changing it. If it works why change?

Anyway, my script is now getting filled at the chemist. I am sure they hate me coming in to get these lotions & potions made up. I told them I'll be back in a day or two. At least that way it should be made up by the time I get there.

**That photo of the coal tar cream doesn't really do it justice. That stuff looks a much darker yellow in real life & has a very, very strong tar smell.

More Coal Tar Potions

I had another review with the dermatologist today. I swear I was only in there for 5 minutes. I guess I shouldn't complain really as I only had to wait for about 20 minutes before I got in to see him.

I have been prescribed some more tar based potions and more celestone cream. At least I think its cream. I've already put the script in at the chemist so I can't check that at the moment. The potion needs to be made up (I am sure that the chemist hates making it up) and its stronger than the last lot. I think its 30% LPC this time. Who knows if it will work or not.

All I know is that Spring is around the corner and I am looking forward to getting some natural UV on my skin!

Finally!

After waiting 4 weeks to get in to see my dermatologist I finally was able to see him last week. Yet another SHORT visit for a rather LARGE amount of money.

When I told my derm that my psoriasis was coming back he of course wanted to take a look. I hate having to flash my skin at the best of times but he had to see how much of my P had come back. I think he was a little surprised that his latest concoction (coal tar based goop in vaseline or some such thing) wasn't working as well as he had hoped. To be honest the only thing it was good for was making the flakes really soft so that they could be picked off. Not that I condone picking it but it sure did make my skin feel less itchy ones the flakes were gone.

I asked if it were possible to go back to the lotions I was using earlier in the year. They were at least working. Not as well or as quickly as I had expected but they were at least working. Thank goodness he actually listened to me and said okay. I also mentioned that the Chemist said that the stronger the potion the more the ingredients separated from each other and my derm said he had wondered about that. So we agreed that I would use the LPC at 25% rather than the 30 he had used once before. I was a little disappointed when he said that he would exclude the salicylic acid from the preparation. I found that was extremely useful in smoothing out the skin. The derm seemed to think that it might be annoying my skin. Maybe it was. He's the expert so I'll go with the flow for now.

Armed with a new script for yet another potion I headed off to the Chemist. I am so glad that the people there know me so well (I've been going there for years) & that they are very accommodating when it comes to making up these lotions & potions. It also helps to tell them that I will be coming back the next afternoon to give them anywhere up to 36-48 hours to get it ready.

I've been using the new lotion twice a day since Friday night. I can't believe the difference its made already. My P is less flaky. Its wonderful! Finally something is working again.

I go back to see the derm next week on Wednesday. I wonder what his reaction will be this time.

Before I forget, once again we have reached the PBS Safety Net & we are now on free prescriptions until the end of the year. Which means we have spent more than $324 on scripts since the beginning of the year. I know that amount of money may not sound like a lot to some people for prescriptions (I know there are some who pay hundreds of $$ for just one script) but it's a lot when you are on a set (low) income.

Yet Another Review

Well what an expensive 10 minutes that was. $70 for a fleeting visit with the dermatologist. And that was a "Cheap" consultation so he keeps reminding me. Thank goodness I get almost half of that back from Medicare.

I flashed some of my skin to show him that my P was coming back, quite a bit of it now too. I told him that the lotion from last visit, although its stronger, doesn't seem to be doing the trick. That it is too runny and doesn't seem to 'stick' to the skin long enough to make any major difference to it.

The derm once again mentioned that this was a pretty strong preparation & that he was surprised that it hadn't worked as well as he expected. Then he went on to state that he would add some vaseline to this preparation to make it 'stickier' & that he would prescribe some steroid cream to put on first. Turns out its just celestone cream but that mixed with the coal tar may make a difference. Well I am hoping it will.

There is appointment made for another review this time. Dr R said that there wasn't much point of making one yet until I know whether this new mix of stuff is working or not. He said it may last me two weeks or it might last me a couple of months. Either way there was no rush to see him again unless there is NO improvement. And there I was thinking he kept changing the prescription so that I would have to keep coming back. Dr R even said that he wasn't this under control so that I don't have to come back & see him. Gosh that would be nice to go into remission. One can only hope.

Back to the Derm in 6 Weeks

Well I had another review with the dermatologist around an hour ago. I swear I have the wrong job. He gets paid a hell of a lot of money for the very short visits that I have with him & he CONSTANTLY reminds me that I have a discounted rate because I am on a carers pension. I let him know that my P is coming back. To which he said that wasn't good. Well of course not. The whole idea of coming to see you is to make it go away. Sorry for the sarcasm its just how I am feeling right now - all hot & bothered from running around in town before coming home. So ... He's written another prescription. This one is much stronger than the last one and he's put back some of the ingredients that he left out last time. I'm crossing my fingers that this new stuff will work this time round. Oh gosh I hope it does. I just want to be psoriasis free. I haven't been psoriasis free since I was a teenager & I was living in Darwin. I cannot believe it that I have tears in my eyes when thinking about that. Please cross your fingers & toes for me that this new script will finally get rid of the stubborn spots that are hanging on for dear life. I don't pick the new stuff up until tomorrow afternoon. I'm making sure that my Chemist has time to make it up. I hope he will, he's been pretty good with making up the position the last couple of times I've left scripts there.        

Emotional Roller-Coaster

No real change from last weekends post other than there are more and more new spots appearing all over the place. To be honest I thought I would have more of a flare with all the going on here of late. You see our eccentric (and relatively young) neighbour passed away early last week. I wont go into it much here but its been an emotional week at times. You can check out my Blooming Lovely blog for more details if you feel like reading about him.

Anyway I thought with the emotional roller-coaster that we have all been on this past week that my skin would be worse than it is right now. Thankfully it isn't too bad at the moment. I only have to wait until Wednesday to let the dermatologist know how my skin has been misbehaving. Who knows what alterations he will make with the coal tar potions this time! Let's hope its to something that works better than this current lot. You know he should've left the last prescription alone. It was working!!

It's Coming Back

With my last review a few weeks ago the dermatologist altered the potion (coal tar preparation) that I was using. This time round there is no salacylic acid in it. As far as I know it helps make my skin smoother. I don't know if he changed any other ingredients apart from making it stronger. This time round I am not doing as well as I would like. My P is starting to come back. Even the boys have notice. Its more evident on my legs than my arms but its definitely coming back. Not happy Jan!!!

Too bad that I've had this set back. It will probably mean that I'll be visiting him in another months time. Although I wont know until I see him again on the 3rd of March.
Crossing fingers & toes!

Another Update

Happy Belated New Year!!
Shame on me for not posting sooner. Sorry but I got side tracked with Christmas, New Year, the boys and life in general.

I must remember to take photos of my skin to share with you again. You wont believe the difference that a month as made. I have loads of 'normal' skin! I mean it looks kind of normal to me at least. There are 'shadows' for want of a better description as to where my psoriasis was on various parts of my body & in other parts it just looks like I have a nice suntan.

I had a review with the dermatologist last week. He is impressed with how I am going and doesn't want to see me for another month. Which is good because it was a bit of a struggle to see him every fortnight and having to pay so much to see him for less than a 5 minute consultation. It not that easy when you are on a Carer's Allowance.
The derm still brags at how good this stuff is. He's a bit cocky if you ask me. He is definitely old school though and OLD is the word I use to describe him.

Our free scripts that we had since June of last year has now finished. It finishes at the end of the calendar year. So we start paying for all of our scripts again. I don't mind but when I have to buy anywhere up to 5 scripts some weeks it certainly adds up. Thank goodness I have organised it so that we don't all run out at once and I've staggered things so I get maybe 2 scripts a week.

Speaking of scripts. The Chemist has a very hard time making up the preparation that I use. I know the derm said that this stuff works and it has but the stress/waiting that I have to do to get it is horrendous to say the least. Last week I put the script in on a Thursday before lunch & said I would pick it up on Friday afternoon. I went in around 3:30pm hooping that it would be ready. No more like thinking it would be ready. Well guess what! It wasn't! I don't know if you can imagine how upset I was. Being let down yet again by the same people. It happened to me about 10 days before when I put the previous script in. I know they got busy before the new year so I let it go. This time I swear it was because it was a NEW worker (chemist) in the shop. I bet she saw that it was to be made up and left it for the boss to do when he came in the next day or something like that. I know it happens as it happened to me years ago when I lived in Whyalla. A family run chemist that I went to. The Dad ALWAYS left it for the daughter to make up. Which I thought was kind of miserable of him.

Back to this time though. The Chemist said that it takes about an hour to make up. I thought giving them a day and a half to prepare it was a good thing. I am guessing I have to give them around 48 hours instead for the next one. I swear that they hate it when I walk in the door now just in case I have the script for this stuff to be made. I am sure that they want to run in the opposite direction!

All in all though I suppose I shouldn't complain. There are plenty of bonuses going on where my skin is concerned. The fact that I am beginning to look 'normal' is great! Someone from Church commented on how good my skin is looking. She said it was the best she has ever seen it. It felt good to hear someone say that.
And even better .. I don't have to get the vacuum cleaner out every day to clean up after myself! It's wonderful!!

Look At My Arms!!

Take a look at my arms! Don't they look fantastic. That stinky old-fashioned coal tar prescription from the dermatologist is certainly doing its job! My arms haven't looks like this in years!

Speaking of the dermatologist. I had a review this morning. For the amount of money I pay to see him I only spent less than 5 minutes with him. I'm not happy about the amount of money I have to pay for the teeny bit of time I see him.

I told him how my skin didn't feel quite as smooth this time round as it did with the first lot of coal tar potions. To which he said he was glad that I mentioned it as he tweaked the potion last time and omitted the salacylic acid from the script. He said he would put it back in this time round. That it has a kind of peeling action that makes your skin smoother. Whatever! As long as it works I don't particularly care. I just want smooth NORMAL skin!

I go back in a months time and he has given me a script with two repeats. Not sure how I will make three small jars last for a whole month but I can always resort to other lotion and potions that I have. He also mentioned that I should get about 10 minutes of sunlight a day but only early in the morning as its cooler then. Well der!

Let's see how things go for the next month! I am just glad that my skin is beginning to look more normal each week. The kids were stoked as they could see freckles on my arms and legs. They've made comments like I didn't know you had freckles Mum. They think its neat. In fact so do I.

Dermatologist Review

Well I had my first review with the new derm. For the amount of money I spend to see him I was hoping for MORE out of my visit. I finally got the bill for my first visit. Initial consultations always cost more and he said I got the discounted rate because I am on a Carers Payment (Pension). The first visit cost me $120 and today's review cost me $90. So of course me being the good person that I am paid for both visits today and went straight to medicare to claim the rebate.

Dr R told me that I would get a lot of it back because he wasn't charging me so much! Well I got $103.30 back! That's a heck of a lot of money to pay when you don't have a lot to begin with. Oh well not much I can do I suppose. What happened to to good old days when medicare got bulk-billed for everything?

Anyway now to get with what the dermatologist actually said about my psoriasis. He was suitable impressed with how the coal tar potion is helping. He even boasted again about how he ALWAYS gets good results with this particular preparation. I hate to burst his bubble but if I use it for too long it wont work as well. My body tends to get build up an immunity to any treatment after a while.

I told him how the preparation with the Salicylic Acid seems to be working better than the other one. So he's prescribed me with (get this) only two jars to last me for two weeks when I go back to see him again (on December 9th). Now the first time I saw him he prescribed TWO jars of each type and they barely lasted two weeks. How on earth does he expect me to make two jars last when I am chronically covered? I will most certainly have a flare up before I back to see him when I run out of the new potion. This new coal tar potion will be a lot stronger than the first lot. Not sure exactly what is the exact ingredient that he is increasing all I know is that the percentages are going up from 10% to 15%.

I do have a teeny bit left from both of the jars he prescribed me. I'll put them aside to use when I run out of this new stuff. I just hope and pray that I don't flare too badly once I run out. Or I will have to resort to the old stuff that I have plenty of (meaning the tubes of topical cortisone ointments from the GP).

I just hope that the new potion works FAST and perhaps I wont need quite so much of it. I have to look for that silver lining somewhere I guess...

Day 8/9 - Coal Tar

Its day 8 (or 9 depending on how I'm feeling) using this stinky new preparation from the derm. I'm still not liking the smell but I must admit is it helping.

As I mentioned (well I think I did) there are two preparations. One has salacylic acid (for the left side of the body) and the other has some aqueous cream (for the right side of the body). I have notice a difference in my skin. I wouldn't say its been miraculous or anything but its less red, less scaly and there are signs or 'normal' skin showing through the psoriasis. My feel are looking almost 'normal' too. All good I guess. Oh and the left side seems to be faring a teeny bit better than the right.

I did run out of the potions yesterday morning so I didn't have quite enough to slap on the usual amount I have used so I needed to use it sparingly. I noticed that I flared a little (but was thinking it is partly hormonal too) and I was itchier than usual. I suppose that was because there were more flakes to get rid of. I can't wait for the day when I don't have to vacuum all the time!

I go back next Wednesday to see the derm. I hope I have enough potion to last until then.

Stinky Coal Tar

Well its day three of the new potion use! All I can say is that I have horrible memories of this stuff as a child. Stink, smelly coal tar. I smell like a ROAD!

The only thing it has done so far is make me flake more. The skin on my chest is drier than ever and sore. I've had to moisturise it in between the morning and night time application of this stinky stuff. I can't even tell if it is working or not.

I feel yuck! I'm itchy! And I am feeling depressed! To top it off I have a head cold in this warm weather! ArghhHHHHH! I can't win. I just want this blasted stuff to GO AWAY!!