Traveling with Psoriasis
This past summer I went to Ireland for my sister’s wedding. It is a beautiful country and it was quite a unique and incredible wedding! When I travel I like to have the attitude of “when in Rome” as far as food and beverages. I look at it this way – this most likely will be the only time I visit this part of the world and I want to get the full experience, take in the culture 100%! So in Ireland my attitude was “bring on the meat, potatoes and Guinness!!” Oh and what delicious Guinness it was!! I’m not even a fan of it here in the states, but over there it was just so damn good!
While I was consuming those three things all week I couldn’t help but think about how much of it was actually pushing my Psoriasis to rear its ugly head. What will it take really? Will it take a burger? A steak? A steak, potatoes and 3 glasses of wine? How much acidic stuff can I get away with consuming before I see the negative affect? I didn’t touch anything acidic for almost a year and my skin completely cleared 95%, so I found myself thinking these crazy thoughts while traveling. How much time do I have? As if my life was going to end or worse I wake up covered in red patchy scales!
For almost a year on my strict health journey I thought every second about what I was going to put in my mouth and it was exhausting. All that thinking and paying attention to and planning…I’m tired!!! I want to eat cheese! I want that cupcake at the work birthday parties! I want to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner! I want to enjoy my nightshades without the side of fear or guilt! I like not having to think about what to get for lunch and just grab a sandwich from the deli on busy days! There are so many little things I miss having the freedom to do and I realized lately that I’m the one not giving myself that freedom! I can find my happy medium, I can find it! It might be having only 2 glasses of wine a week, not three. It might be staying away from red meat, but having chicken once or twice a week is okay. It might be eating less sugar, but not depriving myself altogether.
I don’t know what it is, but I’m on a mission to find it because we only live one life and I want to enjoy myself A LOT before I transition! Now, my Psoriasis came back a little bit and I know why. Like I explained in my last few blogs, I had a rough summer between having a new relationship and to getting surgery to traveling, but life will always bring us good and bad experiences that throw us off. I’m thrown off right now and trying to find my way, but along it I am definitely realizing that I want to enjoy the things I love in life! I want to and I hate that Psoriasis makes me feel like I can’t. I know there is a way around it, around feeling I don’t have control over my skin. I’m on a mission…wish me luck and I’ll be sure to report back!