Busy, busy......

Again other things have gotten in the way of blogging. Work and life in general has been pretty hectic but I wanted to come on here and share a quick update on my progress. I get asked quite a lot about how I'm doing on Cosentyx, especially from people who have recently started it or are due to start it.

Thankfully, all progress has been good for my skin. All that is left is the discolouration of psoriasis,  no raised skin, flaking or itching! I have been very happy with my progress. It has been very convenient also only having to take it once a month and I'm now on my fourth month.

My joints lately had been feeling better but unfortunetly this week, have flared. I put that down to lots of walking/ standing in work for long periods of time and also my shoes being a bit worn also. I hope it will calm down soon.

I'll have a longer post in "my experience with" series soon so be sure to check back for that.

As always, any questions leave them in the comments below.

Until next time.....

Sarah x

Ch-ch-changes.....

Hello again. Changes have yet again set me back in my progress, and has gotten to the point that my skin feels like it's on fire :(. Even something so slight as brushing against furniture or harsh clothes are making it unbearable lately.

I'm not entirely sure what has brought it on...change in washing powder? Possibly, change in weather? Could be, it has been up and down lately. Stress? I have had my fair share of it again lately. Sickness? It was only last week I yet again came down with a headcold. I've even been thinking the water supply...strange as it sounds but I have been thinking of investing in a filter for the shower head. I simply can't pinpoint it unfortunately. 

I woke up with a headcold last Thursday, the same morning I had a check up appointment with my rheum. He was shocked at how bad my skin on my legs had gotten when I showed him. Even though Stelara seem to be helping my joints, same couldn't be said for my skin. it was time to try yet another different medication.

I was shown two options, one being a tablet, the other being another biologic, Cosentyx. I had asked about this new biologic back in November having heard so much good about it, but it was not available in Ireland. Thankfully, now it is! I couldn't choose anything else, This seems like the dream biologic. 

I was given my patient pack and sent on my way. Due to being on the tail end of a headcold, I haven't been able to start it just yet. I'm looking forward to starting, worried about the pen injection given that I didn't like the Enbrel one, but none the less, if it is to help me it's a case of get over it and just do it! 

Starting course will be two 150mg injections per week (at the same time) for four weeks and all going well after a checkup with my rheum after that time, it would be two injections together every month. I hope to update once I have started, and I'm hoping for good results as most research I've done on it has come up so positive! 

Have you tried Cosentyx? Let me know what your thoughts on it are.

Until next time.....

Sarah x

Winter handbag essentials.....

Welcome back to my blog! Today's post is going to be about my handbag essentials for the cold winter weather. Lately here has been the coldest it has been this winter as it had been very mild up to now. We've had lots of rain, bringing with it, ice in the mornings. So here are my necessities for this harsh weather....

 

Unfortunately with the cold weather, skin can become dry and cracked so I do tend to carry a few bits in my handbag to avoid irritation and the possibility of my psoriasis becoming worse.

Gloves are a great way to keep your hands protected from the cold air. Theses are a pay from Penneys (Primark) which was €1.50 for a pack of two pairs. They are small enough to roll up and store in your handbag or pocket for whenever you may needed. They can also be a great fashion accessory if you want to dress up an outfit. An additional set of hand warmers could also be placed inside of the gloves to make it toasty :)

A recent addition to my handbag is the LOccitane hand cream for dry skin. I was never one for wearing hand cream, as I don't like strong scents on my hands, and while this does have a slight scent it is very much a pleasant one! It was gifted to me in a gift set of mini samples by my brothers girlfriend, who very thoughtfully took my skin into consideration. I have using this quite a bit on my knuckles as I have experienced cracking of my skin in this area. It is a lovely creamy white texture that really rubs into the skin nicely.

  This time of year when along of colds and flus develope, I find it always good to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer. The bottle picture is from Aldi and costs between €1 and €2. I can be a bit of a germaphobe sometimes as I know myself that with an autoimmune condition that it can be very easy to come down with a cold or flu. Especially when it's the time of year that people are on fitness kicks, no one wants to be sick! Along with hand sanitizer, I also carry a pack of tissue cos you never know when you might need them. 

A longtime favourite of mine is the Blistex relief cream. I find this is fantastic when you're lips are cracked and dry, which unfortunately has been the case lately. I always have a backup of this just I case I might need it. I do like lip balms but nothing seems to be a moisturising as this! You do feel a slight tingle on the lips which I know some people hate, but it's something that doesn't bother me. It is a white cream so does have to be rubbed into the lips well.

Highly recommended by my mother after suffering from a sore throat lately, .  I used to use these when I got strep throats in the past but had since forgotten about them. I was using different cough sweets and cough syrup lately which were not helping, but these were a godsend. I find that after the sweet has gone, that my throat still feel coated with the taste and numbing effect of the sweet. Glad to have these close when my throat is starting to feel sore, and they only cost around €1 to €2.

What items can you not live without in your handbag/ bag to survive the winter? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time....

Sarah x

New Year, new chapter.....

Greeting from my sick bed....well, couch with a fuzzy blanket and warm fire :) Thankfully I'm over the worst of my cold and feeling better each day. A trip to the doctor this morning, it was decided I didn't need antibiotics and to continue my recovery on paracetamol. Funnily enough my facebook memories today showed me moaning about being sick this day, on two different years...seems to be a pattern. I know that this is going around and I know people who suffered from it recently. Probably from going from bad habits over Christmas to trying to do better again in the new year getting back into routine. On that note also, Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed however you chose to celebrate. I did so with family and my boyfriend having a quiet night in, going outside at midnight to see the fireworks over the nearby town.

So today, giving how I'm feeling I thought I'd go through a routine of how I recharge my batteries when I am sick...

Comfort:

It is important to make sure you are comfortable! Whether its being in bed or on the couch, its nice to have comfy pillows or cushions to ease and aches of pains you may have. I found myself suffering from terrible lower back pain which my doctor put down to the virus targeting a weak area of your body. I found myself layer up cushions on the couch and while in bed using my trusty hot water bottle to heat the area. Just be sure not to have the hot water bottle touching your skin, so as not to burn the skin, instead wrap it in a towel or tshirt.

My lovely fuzzy blanket from trusty Penneys has been attached to me most of the week. It warm but also light material if I get too warm. Who can forget warm, cosy slippers!  My pair of choice being sheep ones I received as a present at Christmas.

Sleep

Sometimes coming down with something like a cold is a way of your body saying you need to slow down and recharge. Depending on your age and lifestyle it is usually recommended that we get 8 to 9 hours sleep a night. A good night sleep can help to focus more during the day at work/school. Lately unfortunately my sleeping pattern has been all over the place (a bad habit from Christmas) which may have been part of the reason I became sick. Relaxation plays a big part, even little things like lighting candles or your favourite scent,going for a short walk to get to fresh air into your lungs (love the chill of late cold nights), listening to your favourite music, watching your favourite show or if like myself lately, watching your favourite youtubers.

Medicine

Whether you believe in herbal medicine or the chemist kind, use whichever you find works for you! I found myself using Strepsils sore throat and blocked nose lozenges due to a bad cough I had and later found Fisherman Friend were more beneficially. As a child I always suffered from very sore throats and bad coughs but since I had my tonsils out (10 years this month!) I thankfully haven't suffered as badly, as well as improving my skin when it was at its worst at that time. I had started out using a cough syrup but found it only seemed to make me cough more. Voltarol has been a godsend for using on my lower back! The pain was so bad when it came to getting up from sitting down and standing back up again but this gel really has helped relieve it as it targets the area.

Fluids

This is sooo important! Be sure and keep your body hydrated with plenty of fluids. Water, 7-Up and Tea have been my fluids of choice. One of my goals for the New year is to drink more water. I had a good routine of drinking water daily but fell into bad habits over Christmas.

If needed, seek medical advice

If you feel like nothing is helping, maybe seeing your doctor is the next step. Your doctor can then recommend a course of action, whether it be antibiotics, or even just more rest. It is best to follow the instructions of your doctor and if that doesn't work, don't hesitate to let them know, they are there to help you after all.

I have found myself using the downtime to also make goals for myself for the new year. I'm not one for making New Years Resolutions, simply because I never keep them! So I have written out ideas and steps to go about achieving them, in the form of progression and it has really made me motivate myself to getting better and try to improve my lifestyle as of late.

Anything you would add to the above list? Leave it in the comments below. I hope it has been a better start to the new year for you. Have you made resolutions or plans? I may share mine in a post, I'm planning to keep track of progress in all areas so hopefully a few changes in motion.

Until next time....

Sarah x