Treatment brings welcome stability for psoriasis sufferer’s condition

Four special days in his life stand out for Andrew Gosse.

He speaks with joy of his wedding day, the birth of each of his two sons and the day his dermatologist presented him with the medication that has kept his psoriasis under control for almost 10 years.

“There is no way to overstate the excitement,” says Gosse, a realtor in Newfoundland and Labrador and the founder and past-president of the Canadian Psoriasis Network (CPN). “Having a chronic disease like psoriasis is like being on death row, knowing that you didn’t do anything wrong. Then, with the right medication, the doors open and you are set free.”

Now 45, Gosse says that today his condition is the last thing on his mind. But reaching his current peace of mind and disease stability was a long and often devastating journey that began with the discovery of a small silvery scab on his elbow when he was a 17-year-old army reservist.

“I went to the doctor expecting him to give me a cream to make it go away,” he says. He had no idea that the sore was the opening salvo in a lengthy battle with severe psoriasis. “Instead, it was the beginning of a decades-long struggle for survival.”

“I don’t mean to make it sound worse than other diseases,” says Gosse, although at times he was covered from head to toe in bleeding, scaly patches. “Nothing is minor if it’s happening to you or a loved one.”

Psoriasis is always present, he notes. “In its most severe manifestation, it affects how you sleep — if you can sleep. It affects your social life. It affects how you think, what you wear, what you eat and where you go. You are constantly itching and bleeding and you look diseased, so you know people are looking at you.”

“We say psoriasis is more than a skin disease because of the stigma, the isolation, the pressure, even the suicidal thoughts because of the disease,” says Kathryn Andrews-Clay, executive director of the Canadian Association of Psoriasis Patients (CAPP). “We are trying to increase the quality of life of patients living with psoriasis. Even if they are stable, there are still the psychological and social aspects to deal with.”

Gosse also highlights the related effects, including mental strain and depression, and the economic strain if the psoriasis is so severe that it interferes with the ability to keep working or to be accepted for a particular job.

During his five years in the army reserve, Gosse was to have been part of a peacekeeping tour in Cyprus but was turned down because of his psoriasis.

“That was really hard to take,” he recalls. “But I was Andrew Gosse says the day he was prescribed a treatment plan that has kept his psoriasis under control for almost 10 years was one of the greatest of his life. very blessed to have a dermatologist who was both a clinician and a researcher. Countless times, he told me we were in the fight against psoriasis together.”

With that support, Gosse took part in a number of clinical trials. “There was always the chance of finding something that worked and that kept me hopeful,” he says. “But every time you try something and it doesn’t work, you slip mentally. You are afraid to hope again.”

Then came that memorable day when his doctor greeted him with a wide smile and the treatment plan that would soon prove to be the right medication for him.

“This drug is as close to a cure as I can get,” he says. “It’s the right treatment for me. … It’s been almost 10 years with no decline in efficacy.”

“I would be very concerned and disappointed if I were asked to switch from this medication,” he adds. “I have been on three other treatments that didn’t work for me, so my fear is not based on the unknown but rather on lived experience.”

Through the CPN, Gosse is trying to help others with psoriasis. According to CPN executive director Robert Corbeil, the main focus is on providing “information in various forms and trying to connect with people across Canada, so that they find a dermatologist and the right treatment.”

It can be a long journey towards finding stability, as in Gosse’s case; once it’s found it is up to patients and their support networks to advocate for continued, consistent care.

“We want the voices of patients and their families to be heard, and we want to ensure that there are as many options for patients as possible,” says Andrews-Clay.

There are many options in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. All treatments have benefits and risks, some of which can be serious, and can vary by individual. If you are living with psoriasis, talk to your doctor about treatment options that might be right for you.

Every patient deserves a stable treatment journey.