The 29 Year Itch

Everyone struggles, from time to time, in their own way but someone with a skin disease suffers in a very unique way (why do you think the Hulk was always so sad!).

Let's say you have diabetes, lupus, chron's, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer the list goes on but with all these diseases is a common thread, more often than not, you cannot see these illnesses. Don't get me wrong, these are awful diseases and they all come with their own unique struggles and one is not necessarily worse than the other but at least, with many of these diseases, you don't have to shout your malady to the world every time you go to the grocery store. You don't have to answer questions like, "Are you contagious?" "Is it painful?" "How do you get rid of it?" "Is it everywhere?". My favorite (some of these people are very well meaning) is when people try to offer you medical advice, as if, your skin DISEASE is somehow your fault? "Have you tried, insert hippy organic treatment?" "I don't think you are moisturizing enough." "You must be allergic to gluten" "I'm sure it will go away on it's own". Next time you want to say something like this imagine saying those same phrases to someone in a wheelchair or someone who has cancer.

Fun historical fact: Many modern day scholars and archaeologists (possibly Indiana Jones) believe that most "Biblical era" cases of leprosy were, in fact, just people with psoriasis. These people were sent to die in leper colonies!

There's nothing wrong with having questions but when I encounter someone with a disease, that I have never hear of before, and I want to learn more about it. I go home and I WebMD the shit out of it! That way I don't have to possibly embarrass someone and I gain even more knowledge for my already massive brain, mwuahahahaha!

Don't feel bad if you have done/said any or all of the above statements to me, in the past. I just felt like a rant today and I am on some good drugs for my skin and am feeling and looking pretty good. I like to remember the bad times, when I am good, so that I don't forget about everyone else who is struggling right now. Someone once said, "It's not easy being green", I'm pretty sure that person was Winston Churchill.