There are more than 1.8 million people in the UK with psoriasis, it is the most widespread autoimmune disease in the USA and it affects 2-3% of the world’s population. It is a chronic disease that has to be managed daily and can affect all areas of your life. Men and women that live with psoriasis have to be diligent about caring for their skin. My admiration for one such woman tells her story over the next few weeks about how she copes with the disease mentally, physically and spiritually. If you have a skin disorder, you might find some of Kim’s tips and techniques useful for your condition.

Life stories: Kim, Hitchin Twitter: @k_maggott

I was 18 years old when the doctor told me that the white scaly condition on my scalp was not a bad case of dandruff (which didn’t seem to be getting any better, no matter how many times I washed my hair, or used an anti-dandruff shampoo), he paused briefly and asked me if I had heard of a skin condition called, Psoriasis?

Now there’s a word you don’t hear every day!

Little did I know that this strange disease was going to ‘hang around’ for a long, long time.

I’m now 56 years old, and the Psoriasis is still with me. It’s all over my body as well as on my scalp. I’ve reflected on how I would begin telling my story for such a long time, that when I sat down to actually write it down, I realised that it’s been like a ‘thorn in my flesh’. This metaphor is synonymous with a biblical scripture used by St Paul, as he pleaded with God to remove the aggravation and torment that he was continually experiencing. But, God did not remove it, instead he said to Paul that His Grace was sufficient for him, and that by God’s power Paul’s weakness will be made strong.

This scripture almost completely sums up how I have mentally managed to survive this awful disease Psoriasis that has tried to break me and disillusion me with life to throw in the towel and give up on taking care of my body.

If you are someone that is struggling with this dreaded disease, and you’re looking for some kind of coping mechanism that will keep you hopeful and not alone in your plight. – I will be sharing my story and practical things that I do on this amazing blog over the next few weeks!