Psoriasis Club Newsletter

December 2019

Welcome to your December newsletter, is it really December where did 2019 go, it's been a mixed year on the forum with lots of new members posting introductions and some have gone on to have threads in the prescribed treatments, so they can keep track of their treatment and how effective it is, this has a twofold effect of giving the writer something to refer back to and also help new members learn the pros and cons of the treatment. If you would like to start a thread about your treatment you can do that Here .
There have been some sad moments as members have lost family and some have been quite ill, but the forum has rallied round all those that have posted about their trauma. As although a primarily psoriasis forum the off topic section attracts members back and friendships form and there are a lot of very supportive members, who I thank for being there

The off topic has been as busy as ever as we now have a games and quiz board where many of the existing games have been moved to and a few new ones added why not pop in and have a look Games and Quizzes Here

We are still not getting seen in search engines as much as in the past but we are still attracting new members that are contributing to the club, so I would like to thank those new members for joining the club and helping to keep it active .

If you're a guest feel free to browse through the links here and join if you want to see more. Some off topic items may not be available for guests but all the health boards are
The forum team have been busy keeping an eye on the Club and are there for you, so if you can't find something you are looking for or if you aren't sure how to do something, we are here to help just click the link below to make contact

I'm always looking for ideas to improve the newsletter if you have a suggestion contact me or if you prefer any of the staff HERE

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This months stats

New Introductions

Please look at these introductions and come and welcome the new members that have taken the trouble to write an introduction.

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afternoonfix wrote Hello from Ireland ....

Hello All .... fellow psoriasis sufferer here … have had it since a teenager – now late forties and it has decided to go crazy ……..got pityriasis rosea in April which really assisted in kicking things south …
Went to a dermatologist who is proposing Skilarence – but not too sure I’ll be up for the side effects I've read so doing the usual and trying every other thing else ... .... Read more here

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Andrews wrote

Hello from India See more here

Members Treatments, Questions and comments

Mac092 writes Moving from Skilarence to Stelara

I've posted before on using fumeric acid esters(fumaderm and skilarence) before. I've had great success with these over the last number of years, however they have stopped working

Seen my derm last week and I've been put on stelera. Nurse is due to call today to help me with my first dose. I'll try to keep this post updated so you can follow the effects

Let's hope it's as successful as fumaderm was to begin . Read more here

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nabrug asks which biological to start with

Hi everybody,
Joined the group several years ago. Talked about some of my problems but that is still hard to do. But the website means a lot to me although I'm not responding a lot. I hope you will understand.

I have had DMF, light therapy and MTX the past few years and am now progressing to the biologicals. I read Maryam's journal and discovered that people favour humira to stelara? Or is it the other way around. What should I consider? My intake is at November 18 at the AMC Amsterdam........ Read more

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Marcia1966 wrote about changing from Cosentyx to stelara

Hello everyone I hope you are all well as can be and had a lovely summertime. Today at dermatology appointment I was told my treatment is changing because the cosentyx has stopped being as effective after almost three years. I am due to start stelara in a month or so. I was told a nurse will come to my home to administer my injection every time! With cosentyx this only happened on the first occasion so I’m a little confused at this. Anyway I’m looking forward to possibility of having clear skin once more. I also thought stelara was an older biologic but I guess the dr has good reason for making that choice. I would be interested to hear how others have done with the same switch in treatment too, along with side effects. I’m concerned about any potential weight gain as I’m no lightweight but I did lose weight when I started cosentyx. This is important to me because I have reduced mobility and find exercise more difficult Read more

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Duncan wrote about Amgevita (adalimumab

I started Amgevita (Adalimumab) 4 weeks ago. All the tablet treatments upset my tummy. No side effects as yet other than feeling a little lightheaded on a very few occasions (lasts seconds) They are free filled injection pens. Brilliant. I feel nothing. It says to nip the injection site skin together, or stretch out. Now when I had to give my wife injections, I was told not to nip the skin. She said it stressed the skin or something, causing bruising. So I looked up why they nip skin and its to it absorbs in the fat slower. Stretching the skin does the opposite, so I don't get it. It also says to inject the belly or top of legs. WHY. Yes, the belly is full of fat but not the upper legs?.......... Read more here

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Marco started a thread about his experience with Stelara .

Hello everybody ,
Friday 8th November i have received the first shot ( 45 mg ) of Stelara. All made in hospital where a kind nurse showed me how to do the injection ( made on the belly ).
More easy than i expected.
My derm explained me all about that Bio drug including possible side effects. Read more Here

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Want more?

Q and A's with a member

Each month we choose one of our members at random to answer 10 questions, this month it was KatT

Q1: Do you have any pets ?

A1: I have a cat that I kidnapped from my neighbors as my hubby won`t let me buy a new one since our last past away. My hubby has seniority now since my last cat passed away and he`s happy to have top seniority!

Q2: What would be your last meal ?

A2: Alaska King Crab with garlic butter of course! I just love seafood.

Q3: What did you have for breakfast today ?

A3: euh... nothing as I don`t usually have breakfast. Bad habit I know! Can`t eat early in the morning, I'm just not hungry. Just bring me coffee asap. On the rare occasions that I do have breakfast, I like my bacon and eggs!

Q4: Do you play any board or card games ?

A4: Absolutely, I love to play cards (crib, 500, wizard, kanasta, Cards against humanity, etc) and board games like Ticket to Ride, just got the game Bang! recently. I am not a sore loser but I don`t like to lose....I play to win!

Q5: What did you last laugh at ?

A5: During a meeting at work with clients (about 30 people around the table and some on video conference) when my colleague was giving an update on system testing. Instead of saying we are seventy-six percent complete in the schedule, she said seventy-sex. Everybody had a good laugh and she recovered nicely from her blunder. I've never seen someone turn red so quick!

Q6: Got any bad habits ?

A6: Unfortunately, I smoke and been smoking for 30 years. It`s difficult to quit and right now, it keeps me sane at work and people around me safe :-)

Q7: Did you drink or smoke underage ?

A7: Drink yes, like most teens. Smoke, well yes. Now the question is what?

Q8: What would you like to see invented ?

A8: A cloning machine for humans.... I need one for work to clone myself and some of my colleagues. Too much work!

Q9: Ever broken any bones ?

A9: Never. I am not a daredevil!

Q10: What is your favourite saying ?

A10: ``Ça prend pas la tête à Papineau`` which is like saying ``you don`t have to be a rocket scientist`` Now I could give you a Quebec history lesson on who is Papineau but I'll keep it for the 100 facts challenge.

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Who will it be next month ? Nominations on a postcard.

Fred's Music Column

Sad month: It's been a very sad month for me and I haven't felt like doing my column.

So this month I'm just going to give you two tracks that were chosen by my Sister and Mother for their funerals.

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My sisters choice: "Johnny Remember Me by John Leyton" She chose that because her husbands name is Johhny.

My Mums choice: "Walk Of Life by Dire Straits" She chose that because she liked the beat (I don't think she knew what it was about)

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Music can touch our emotions in many ways. I'll try to get my column back to normal next month.

Johnb's Recipe Spot

Christmas Munchies

Following a call a few months ago for recipe requests, I got one. Fred suggested I did a menu, so when is a better time to do a menu for a meal than for Christmas. I thought I would go just a little further though and invite you all to experience my tradition of Christmas Fayre. Now I am no way religious by any means, having fallen out with religion many years ago, but I do enjoy good Christmas banqueting and there is no better means of brightening a dull miserable winter.

We normally awaken around 7:30 ish with a nice cup of tea in bed while we come to our senses. Once dressed its down to the kitchen to prepare the buzzard, sorry Turkey. We normally buy ours fresh from a local market as close to the 25th as we can and keep it in the garage where it is nice and cold. To prep the buzzard I melt a chunk of butter and using a BBQ syringe I inject this butter into the breast in several places. The bird then has more butter slathered all over it and treated to a sensual massage all over before giving it a good grind with salt and pepper. Then a full pack of streaky smoked bacon is placed over the breast and thighs to help baste and protect the bird through the cooking. A couple of onions and a couple of oranges are quartered and crammed onto the cavity a into the neck flap. Don’t bother peeling either as they get dumped once your bird is done. They are just there to add flavour and stop the bird from drying out. Cover in foil and whack it in the oven until it is nicely brown and the juices run clear. We don’t want any dodgy tummies do we?

So while I’m prepping the budgie, Mrs John is doing breakfast and there is only one thing that hits the spot. A bacon butty (sandwich), but this just HAS to be smoked back bacon, grilled obviously and only on medium white sliced with a generous wipe of smokey chilli jam. Yummy. A good dose of Vitamin ‘P’ (P = pig) always starts the day in the right way. Oh it also needs a big steaming mug of coffee with a splash of cream in (well it is Christmas).

Following brekkie I shoot off to see my Mum while Mrs John carries on with the accoutrements. This involves the best ever roasties, roasted root veg and the must have - sprouts.

Right I’m back all the veg is prepped and the the bacon needs be removed from the buzzard as well as the foil to finish cooking. We chuck this on a tray to crisp up a bit more along with some pigs in blankets and stuffing balls. Life is too short to make stuffing balls and pigs in blankets so I am ashamed to say we buy ours in. The buzzard should be done about now, so remove from the oven, drain all the juice off, cover in foil and a couple of clean towels and it will keep warm for an hour or so quite happily.

To the spuds, these should be Red Desiree (my preference) or Maris Piper for best results. You don't want them too big, between the size of two golf ball taped together and a small fist. Peel and and halve before boiling for 10 to 15minutes until tender. Meanwhile preheat an oven tray with your grease of choice, we have tried them all, Goose fat, Olive oil, Lard and Rapeseed oil. By far the best for us is Rapeseed oil. Drain, put the lid back on and give the spuds a good shake to roughen up. Chuck them into the hot fat and baste. Slap the spuds into a hottish oven along with a tray of root veggies, parsnips, beetroot, red onion and a whole head of garlic split into cloves. Roast until done. The spuds should be nice brow and case hardened with a light fluffy inside.

So by now we are both a bit peckish and fortunately the pigs, (don’t forget this comma or it wont read right) balls and bacon are ready so we treat these as Horses Doufers (hors d'oeuvres). Personally this needs a good cocktail to wash it down and my favorite for this is a good cold Martini (2.5 parts of a good gin to 0.5 parts dry vermouth) I know it may upset the purists but I shake mine in a lot of ice rather than the traditional stir. Don't forget a couple of nice fat stuffed olives.

So its closing in to munchies time and we always start with my garlicky stuffed mushrooms that were a topic a good while back. These were pre prepared the night before to save a bit of time and ‘mature’ so just needs reheating.

Its getting on to mid afternoon now and its time to serve. The Mushrooms will be stinking hot and most likely capable of causing a good 3rd degree burn, so I would leave for a few moments before tucking in. I don't normally do wine with the mushrooms, preferring a Croatian beverage called Pelinkovac served lightly chilled with a segment of lemon. It has a slightly bitter flavour similar to a Negroni cocktail but is thinner in texture and not quite so alcoholic.

A brief respite from eating now while the main course is assembled. A least three gorgeous roasties each, a good selection of the roasted veggies, chuck a couple more parsnips on Mrs Johns plate as she loves them. A nice meaty leg for me and a nice thick slice or three of turkey breast for Mrs John then the sprouts. A half dozen each lightly boiled – they have to be al-dente. Then smother in gravy. Now to my eternal shame it comes from a packet. I have never been able to crack a decent gravy. I have lost count how many good roast dinners I have ruined trying to make my own gravy. It invariably ends up bitter, salty or tasteless, so packet it is.
To accompany I always go for a white, generally a half decent Chablis nicely chilled and opened about 20 minutes beforehand.

Burp. Oops ‘scuze me. Dinner now over and we are pleasantly stuffed. Neither of us are really pudding mad and we have had or fill for the time being so it is time to relax a while with an Espresso and Liqueur. For me the Liqueur of choice would be either a Benedictine or Drambuie. Don't forget the After Eights though.

By mid evening its time for a top up and for me although I’m not really a pudding person I do quite like a nice Christmas Pudding – with a twist. I have tried many individual shop bought puddings and each one has its merits, so I can’t really suggest a favorite. But the only way to serve is most definitely not cream, ice-cream or brandy butter, it is most definitely mustard. Yep you read correctly most definitely mustard. Good old Coleman's English lightly spread all over the outside of the pud. Don’t mock it until you have tried it! Try a Pedro Ximenez with it. Its an unctuous thick sweet sherry. It reminds me of a good thick cough syrup, but its very moreish!

Later still its cheese and bicci time as there is invariably a small gap to fill. On my cheese board it will almost certainly have a couple of blues, Stilton only because I needed it for the Mushrooms and something like a Blu d’Afine, a Brie and most definitely a Lancashire Crumbly. Don’t forget the Port to wash it down either.

So its almost time to roll away into bed but first a nice Courvosier to end the day.

Another Christmas done and dusted. Its been a pleasure to share it with you all.
Cheers.

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