Kat-out-of-the-bag

I have been very bad at keeping a written update on my light therapy so now that I have had the last session I thought I would share the results. Before I go into that I will give you some pros and cons of the light therapy from my perspective (everyone reacts differently). Cons Gives you a constant tan - May not sound like a con but I have become paranoid that people think I am using sun beds... I point out constantly that its medical. Redness on days of treatment - Immediately after treatment I am fine but throughout the day you get redder and redder until you become a human glowstick. It doesn't hurt but does make you very hot. Goggle marks - to begin with I had to wear these little goggles which left my burning red face with ridiculous white goggle marks. It was getting ridiculous so as I don't really have Psoriasis on my face I opted to use sun block on my face for the last 10 sessions which helped alot Burnt nipples - true thing! how often do your nip...

Now that I have been having light treatment for a few weeks I thought I would give you guys a short update. It has been an odd experience really. After the first couple of times I noticed that my face was becoming irritated and blotchy which is completely out of the ordinary as I don't suffer from psoriasis on my face. I raised this with the nurse at my next appointment. She looked me over, looked a bit puzzled and then took a sharp intake of breath as she realised what was happening (I expected a little light bulb to appear above her head). "You're wearing make-up!" she said as if this was meant to mean something to me. Well it turns out that she had neglected to tell me I am not to wear any make-up, perfume or deodorant and also that I am not to wash my hair or body the day of my treatment due to the perfumes in the product and how it reacts in the machine. I'll be honest I didn't really ask why. So from that session onward I now shower the night befor...

I have inadvertently taken up oil painting. Yep, that is right, due to a slight misunderstanding at Christmas I acquired all the gear so I thought "why not" A friend of mine moved into her new flat last year and showed me the most beautiful canvas paint by numbers that she was doing. I loved the idea of having art on the wall that you had done yourself. So after a huge house renovation/ extension I have a lovely room that is crying out for some art of just this type. So for Christmas I asked my brother for my own paint by number canvas. It is still unfinished but this is what I have done so far On Christmas morning I was presented with an oil painting kit from my husband which confused the hell out of me. To which he replied that my brother had told him about the painting I had asked for and he completely got the wrong end of the paint brush and thought I had wanted to take up oil painting. Having almost completed my stag picture I decided to give it a good...

If you read my last post you may well be wondering what on earth photo therapy (light treatment) is. Well let me explain. Light therapy, also known as photo therapy, is the use of ultraviolet (UV) light for its healing effects. Photo therapy has been used worldwide for nearly a century to treat chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis, vitiligo and severe eczema. While many treatments decrease the overall immune system, UV light can be used to decrease the local immune system in the skin. In conditions such as psoriasis, light therapy can also slow down the development of thick, scaly skin. Yesterday I had my induction with the team at Frimley park hospital. After an HOUR trying to park I arrived slightly late for my appointment but was greeted by a lovely nurse who said not to worry. This nurse then spent the next 45 minutes going through all the information about the therapy, what to expect, do's and don't's etc There was a lot of information but my bigge...

I have been MIA from the blogging scene for a while now. This is mainly due to health reasons that have consumed my life lately. For the first time in about two years I feel like I am winning my personal battle and wanted to start sharing again, so here goes. The main thing I want to focus on today is my Psoriasis. For those not "in the know" this is a horrible skin condition that causes red, itchy and scaly skin (it is as disgusting as it sounds). Psoriasis affects around 2% of people in the UK. It can start at any age but most often develops in adults under 35 years old, and affects men and women equally.   The severity of psoriasis varies greatly from person to person. For some it's just a minor irritation but, for others, it can majorly affect their quality of life. Unfortunately mine is the latter. I am now covered from my head to my toes in these awful looking patches of flakey, red soreness.  How it began: It all began in my scalp about 7 or 8 years ago ...

I am now into week 4 of the Cambridge diet and it is going well. I am still as committed as I was at the start. Don't get me wrong I am not a saint and have had a couple of little cheats: I attended a wedding and may have indulged in a few (too many) glasses of red wine On my daughters birthday I did have a (small) slice of cake Last weekend we went to Thorpe park and I had a KFC  Finally I had a very small roast dinner last Sunday. Not great I know and I am sure Debbie (my weight plan consultant) will read this and tell me off next week but what I am impressed with is the things I have chosen to cheat with. I am no longer craving chocolate, crisps, cakes etc it is really only actual food that I am craving. The thing I want the most is a slice of toast with peanut butter (this will be the first thing I have when I stop the diet).  I have learnt that actually the small portioned meals I am allowed do fill me up and this is something I will carry on way beyond t...