Conni wawrzyniak - alnovat ambassador

_“Hey, I’m Conni and 63 years young, and I’ve had psoriasis on my hands and feet for 37 years, and now also on my elbows and scalp. I hope that as an Alnovat ambassador I can encourage the psoriasis community and give them hope not to give up and to live and love life despite everything.”_

HOW DID YOU FIRST COME INTO CONTACT WITH ALNOVAT?

I first came into “contact” with Alnovat cream on Facebook. To be specific, on Facebook I went to the page of the company Farbenhaut and then I was able to participate in a long-term test with Alnovat cream. I regularly answered questionnaires as part of the test, and after I changed the area being treated, there were visible results very quickly in the new area

WHAT OTHER TREATMENT OPTIONS HAVE YOU ALREADY TRIED?

I have previously tried countless creams, some containing cortisone, which I can no longer name individually. During a rehabilitation, the head physician insisted that I should take a remedy with very severe side effects.

But I refused. When the psoriasis got really bad on my hands, I consented to treatment with MTX. After around 9 months, the treatment had to be stopped due to the severe side effects.

HOW AND WHEN DOES YOUR PSORIASIS AFFECT YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE? 

The psoriasis on my hands limits me the most.

Especially when I’m working in the office using a keyboard, or when I’m doing housework, whether emptying the dishwasher or washing machine, or any kind of cleaning.

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE REACT TO YOUR PSORIASIS?

I have different experiences of people’s responses to my psoriasis.

There are colleagues who are sympathetic and others who say:

“Why don't you just retire”.

The looks that shop cashiers give me are also crass, ranging from shock to disgust…. I wish people were better informed and didn’t always think that psoriasis is a highly infectious disease.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PSORIASIS?

If you can talk about good experiences with psoriasis, then this is a good one: my little grandson (3.5 years old) recently asked me if the open wounds on my hands hurt. When I said yes, he asked if it would help if he blew on the skin and then gave me a hug. Of course I gladly accepted. The love of the little ones (I have several grandchildren) does wonders and really helps you forget about a lot of other things.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORST EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR PSORIASIS?

In 2017, I wanted to fly to the USA with my daughter for a wedding. After a never-ending flight we finally arrived at the immigration authorities in Atlanta. There my fingerprints were scanned. It worked quite well with my left hand, but it just wouldn't work with my right hand. The official didn’t want to let me enter the USA because he couldn't scan my fingerprints. When I explained that I had psoriasis, he took out a bottle of disinfectant and told me that I should use it.

Then I told him that my daughter is a doctor and could explain the condition better because she had lived in the USA for a long time. This made him really mad, his brother was also a doctor, he knew a thing or two about it and I should take the disinfectant because it would smooth out the skin particles. I did it, but my fingerprints still wouldn’t scan, however we were eventually allowed to enter the country. 

WHAT TIP CAN YOU GIVE OTHER PSORIASIS SUFFERERS IF THEY ARE GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT/STRESSFUL TIME (E.G. DUE TO A SEVERE FLARE-UP)?

Do not give up hoping for an improvement, do positive things, read a hopeful, happy book, enjoy nature, relieve stress if you can. I always say to myself: I have psoriasis, but psoriasis can’t get me down!

HOW DO YOU CARE FOR YOUR SKIN AND PSORIASIS? 

I care for my skin and psoriasis with salt baths using salt from the Dead Sea and high-quality olive oil and suitable moisturizers. For my scalp, I use a shampoo made of natural substances from Lush, which my scalp can tolerate very well.

DO YOU HAVE A TIP  – THAT YOU HAVEN’T READ ANYWHERE BEFORE –  THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE? 

My tip is to always Google for old home remedies and to try them because they can often be very helpful. And to not give up hope. Good things take time and don’t work the first time you try them.

WHAT TOPIC CAN YOU HELP WITH IN PARTICULAR? 

As I work with people suffering from mental illness and I’m also trained in it, I could help with things like that, especially since psoriasis is greatly aggravated by stress (at least it is for me).

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR IN THE FUTURE WITH YOUR PSORIASIS?

For the future, I hope that a remedy is found that makes psoriasis much more tolerable, without having to subject your body to MTX or other harmful medications.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE PSORIASIS COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE?

For the psoriasis community as a whole, I wish for a time when their skin is free of symptoms and lots of moments of happiness, as well as a lively exchange and new contacts that may be useful.

PROFILE:

NAME: Conni Wawrzyniak

AGE: 63

OCCUPATION: Civil service

TYPE OF PSORIASIS Psoriasis vulgaris and palmoplantar psoriasis 

AFFECTED BODY AREAS: My hands and feet, and my elbows and scalp.

FAMILY MEMBERS WITH PSORIASIS: Father and grandson

HOW LONG YOU’VE HAD PSORIASIS: 37 years

MY MOTIVATION: To encourage and give hope. To provide assistance with any questions.