Proud Mama...

I'm a proud mama. Chicken Nugget decided that she would like to play t-ball this year. It's so nice to see her wanting to do other things (aka sports) instead of just playing mommy, dress up and make up. I want her to be a "well rounded" little girl. And I'm quite surprised - but she really likes it!

Her first game was on Saturday. She was amazing. She hit the ball, she ran the bases - she even fielded alot of balls and threw them to first base. At the end of the game, her coach called her over and presented her with the coveted "Game Ball". He is such a gentlemen about it. He got down on one knee and said such encouraging words to her. The game ball reads:

"Chicken Nugget" (ok obviously it would be her real name, not her blog name)

Tigers vs. Rockies

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Game Ball

"for being the best overall player"

I gotta say - I was really proud of her. I think a part of it, for me, was the fact that I was "the girl" in our family. I wasn't given an option to play sports - my brothers did that. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm sure if I had said to my parents "I want to play baseball" I would have been allowed. I just don't think I even knew it was an option. And as I got older, I wished that I had played a team sport. It's seems like such a fun experience. I digress.

She's good at it. And she was proud of herself. In fact, she slept with the game ball that night and showed anyone and everyone. Good job Chicken Nugget - you rock girl!

I've Missed You!!!

I can hardly believe it's been more than two months since my last post. Several of you harassed me at the last Moms in Action meeting, which by the way was SO MUCH FUN (I'll post on that maybe tomorrow, or next month) - I know you are all sick of seeing "A Simple Hello Would Be Fine". So I thought I would indulge you and post something new.

(By the way - if you are still clicking on everyones blog to see if they've posted a new one, you've got to get a bloglines account. Really ladies, you gotta get on board. You'll spend alot less time surfing around).

So, today I thought I would update you on the progress of my psoriasis. If you have no idea what I am talking about, start here. For those of you who now know way more about psoriasis than you EVER wanted to know, I'm doing well.

I am still going to the lightbox three days a week. Which I've gotta say is a real pain. And there are days that I get busy and forget. But I don't ever forget twice. It's amazing at how well the UVB light reduces the scaling and redness - but once I forgot two times - and it was really unbelievable how fast it went back to feeling and looking horrible!!!

I still have it on each area of my body, but many of the really small ones are gone. Where I once had maybe 500, I probably have about 300 now. And my face has really improved. Praise the Lord! Here's my updated photo:

Thank you so much for your kind words to me over the last few months. I love when a friend comes up to me and says, "wow your skin looks so much better". Even though I know I'm not one hundred percent, your kind words make me feel beautiful.

I'm off to the lightbox now - the lady at the lightbox who has issues with social graces still keeps to herself, but I always wait for her to answer my "Hi, how are you?" before I'll answer her about whether or not I've had any burning. Thanks for all your advice!!!

Up Next... How to Make Turtlenecks Fashionable for Summer

A Simple Hello Would Be Fine...

I'm a social person. I talk to everyone. I say hello with eyecontact to people I pass on the street. I wave a thankyou to a fellow driver who has been gracious to let me in. I small talk while standing in line at the grocery store. I enjoy it. I like being friendly to complete strangers. I also like that I see the same three ladies at the dermatologist on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Lorraine, Shannon and the lady who never says hi.

Lorraine is so kind and patient. She sits with the girls outside the room in the cramped hallway of the office. She knows their names, knows that they love lollipops and aren't allowed to ask for them - so she always offers, even when it's nine in the morning.

Shannon is a lovely lady in her thirties. She has kids the same ages as mine, so she's easily approachable and has fun conversations with the girls about what they are going to do for the day, and what they brought in their little pocketbooks.

Then there is "the other lady". I call her this, because I haven't bothered to know her name. Not because I don't want to know her name, but because she has NO interest in anything but getting me in and getting me out of the lightbox.

The receptionist (who also knows my name before I say it each day), calls to the back and announces that I'm waiting for the lightbox and then they send me back. So they know I'm coming. It's a 10 second walk. As I round the corner ready to give the three ladies a "goodmorning" - she cuts me off and says "any burning?" That's it, never a hello. "Any burning" is really all she ever says to me. So, I've never had a chance to know her name. She never faces me, never looks at me. Not interested. Maybe I should go waaayyy out of my way to get to know her. You know, kill her with kindness.

So many people are rude and self absorbed, rushing through their day demanding attention, demanding things from others. I think how easy it to say the simple things. You know the "hello", "excuse me", "please", "thank you". It's not hard - but I think it makes the world of difference to those around us. Let's go out of our way to show them the love of Jesus with our hellos, our pleases, and our thank yous.

Hi My Name is *** and I have Psoriasis...

So, I went to my very first Psoriasis Support Group. I feel like a dork just saying it really. But I knew I had to go. No, God didn't "tell me" to go, but I definitely felt like I'm gonna face this thing dead on and here's just another way to do it. So I went.

It was a very small group. Just five of us. Apparently there are upwards to twelve members. They served Panera for lunch (that'll keep me coming back for sure) and I sat down. No one asked me about my psoriasis. We sat and the ladies at the table were talking about insulation in a basement. Really, insulation. I thought, "I'll be patient, I'm sure they'll strike up a psoriasis conversation soon." Nope. Just insulation. After about 15 minutes of pretending I was interested, I finally spoke up. I turned to the lady next to me and said, "so tell me your story, how long have you had psoriasis." And the conversation began.

It was interesting to hear each person's short story - when they first had an outbreak and where they are now with it. Two of the ladies have psoriatic arthritis as well a psoriasis. The youngest of us (probably young twenties) is in remission but continues to come because, as she says, "I know it will be back".

Then we met a wonderful dermatologist from Hershey Medical Center. He looked far too young and good looking to be a real doctor, but after hearing him speak about T-cells and biologic treatments I was convinced he was legit.

Here's a few things I came away learning from that afternoon:

1 - Insulation has a front and a back, with a moisture barrier on one side - so when putting it in your basement, the moisture barrier should be pointing north.

2 - I use the typical treatments that any dermatologist would suggest. I'm totally normal in the scheme of psoriasis. Not normal in the rest of my life of course, but just the psoriasis.

3 - The next course of treatment for me would be to go on a systemic medication if the UVB therapy isn't effective. Systemic medications are in pill form and work to bind and inhibit the the enzyme involved in the overproduction of skin cells.

4 - Three of the five ladies at the table use biologics - a weekly self-injectible treatment that binds up the T Cells that are wreaking havoc on our skin. This would be the last course of treatment when all others didn't work, or if you are presenting signs of psoriatic arthritis.

5 - The biologic treatments have been around for 10 years - so no one knows the long term implications.

6 - The dermatologist is not married, likes the theatre, and we're trying to hook him with the young girl at our table up.

So there you have it. My recap.

Let's Help Fight Heart Disease...

Check out this site and vote for your favorite Campbell's Soup dress. For every vote until January 30th, Campbell's is donating $1 towards the American Heart Association. So GO RED and vote today! And tomorrow!

Up tomorrow, I'll be recapping my first meeting with the area psoriasis support group. See you then!

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

I just came back from spending two hours in Huckleberry's first grade class. After helping 18 - seven year olds with guided reading and then having lunch with them, I'm pooped. Seven year olds are an "interesting" breed - they are quirky, have alot of pent up energy and are rarely funny to anyone but another seven year old.

While I was standing in line with my son in the classroom (waiting for several slackers to get it together and get their lunchboxes) his friends started up a conversation about my face. They were all very nice, but were inquisitive about what it was. So I, as quickly and as to the point as I could explained psoriasis. I realized as I was getting ready to say, "your skin cells die off every 28 days" I could already hear the "ewww gross" comments, so I replaced "dead" with "shed" and it seemed to thankfully go a tad bit over their head. Then I explained "my skin just does it super fast". Huckleberry proceeded to tell the kids - "don't worry, it's not contagious". I tell them that I have a great doctor (gross overstatement) that is helping me. That reminds a seven year old little girl to tell me that she too has a doctor at the emergency room because she has "ammonia" - as I correct her with little success, a little boy asks if I have medicine. I tell him yes, I go to the doctor three times a week, and he gives me medicine. And he replies, "oh, is it Proactive? I see that on TV." And with that I give a little chuckle and a "no sweetie, not exactly" and we are whisked away to lunch.

Kids say the darndest things.

As a side note - I think that all lunch ladies and lunch aides are grossly overpaid and age far quicker than most people. They are all saints in my book. One visit to the lunchroom a year is enough for me!

A Note of Thanks...

I just want all you ladies to know how grateful I am for each and every one of you. Your words of encouragement have been so amazing, so comforting - like a hug from an old friend.

God was clear with me, that if I was to start blogging about my struggles, that it was to get out all my pent up feeling and to educate - not for approval, not for sympathy. And so (this time) I actually listened to Him. And went into this with pure motives. It's been so good to "talk" it all out. I've been holding it in for so long.

But then you all come in - and just knock my socks off with love, support and encouragement. Each of you are treasures in my life!

Have a blessed day - I'm off to the Lightbox! Maybe I'll get a killer tan from all this UVB!