Plot Twists and Psoriasis
Juggling chronic illness, audiobooks, and why my scale can go kick rocks!
The deadline for my latest book absolutely steamrolled my regular posting schedule (not to mention a few doctor appointments that left me reeling.) I’ve been working like a madwoman turning my Midlife in Aura Cove series into audiobooks with a seriously amazing voice actor, all while drafting the next book. It’s been 16 to 18-hour workdays, but real progress is happening and I can’t wait to share my new women’s fantasy fiction series this summer. (More juicy details below.) With deadlines breathing down my neck, this blog had to take a back seat, but guess what? I’m back, BABY. Still on the slow-moving train to better health, with a few detours and a couple of wins I’ll share now.
Good news first: I was served up a delicious plot twist at my last appointment! Turns out the MRI reader got it wrong…no fracture! My rheumatologist had a feeling something was off, so she got a second opinion from a specialist in all things musculature, and they both agreed it’s inflammation. So now I’m on a high dose of NSAIDs, which I’m not thrilled about. They mess with other parts of my health, but if it helps the back pain and it’s only temporary, I’ll take the trade.
I’ve managed to avoid biologics for now, which feels like a win, even though the whole situation still felt like a setback. I’ve been chasing answers for over a year. I’m a 49-year-old peri-menopausal woman just trying to function without pain, but thankfully my doctor (also a badass woman) pushed for more answers. I’ve been on NSAIDs for several weeks now, and I actually cried over the relief. When you live with chronic pain, you don’t even realize how much of your daily joy it erodes until it’s gone. Feeling the pain lift has been eye-opening. No wonder I’ve been cranky!
I feel incredibly lucky to have found a great rheumatologist. She’s blunt, persistent, and unafraid to demand second opinions. So, while I’m not thrilled about the psoriatic arthritis diagnosis, I’m grateful we’re finally on the right path.
Now let’s talk about my nemesis: the scale. Somehow, I gained weight when I should’ve been dropping it like a madwoman. My metabolism is moving at the speed of a sunbathing turtle. I’m clinging to my chub like a well-fed Renaissance woman, admired for her lush curves because it meant she was wealthy enough to over indulge. Why do I give this tiny machine so much power over my mood? I am more than the number it flashes at me. I decided to stop weighing myself so often and it’s honestly helped my mental state. I hate it and it hates me. We’re in a toxic relationship and I’ve decided to go no-contact.
In other dramatic breakups, alcohol and I are on the outs. The science is clear (it’s toxic garbage) but we’re socially conditioned to treat it like a celebration. I miss it occasionally, especially with tacos, but I’ve only had a drink three times in the last three months. The last time, it actually tasted like gasoline. I don’t know if it’s all in my head or if my body’s just rejecting it, but it was genuinely unpleasant. These days, I’m reaching for Health-Ade Passion Fruit Tangerine Kombucha with a wedge of lime. It’s fizzy, refreshing, and makes me feel like I’m having something special without poisoning my liver.
I’ve had psoriasis for 29 years and seen eight different doctors and dermatologists. Not one of them suggested tracking triggers. I stumbled across that info during a bleary-eyed early morning Reddit scroll. This is part of what drives me crazy about our healthcare system. Too often, we’re handed stronger and stronger medication to manage symptoms, (Screw you big Pharma!) when sometimes the root of the issue could managed with food and supplements.
Psoriasis is tricky. Triggers vary widely from person to person, so the only real way forward is trial and error elimination. And while yes, it’s easy to spiral into food anxiety and obsessive label reading questioning every bite you take, I’ve found that with time, healthier choices start to feel less like punishment. They become your new normal.
If you’re dealing with psoriasis, try cutting out alcohol, gluten, and as much processed food as possible for at least a month or two and see how you feel. For me, the constant, maddening scalp itch is gone. My skin shedding has decreased at least 75%. And mostly importantly, I’ve avoided biologics for now! I know that early-stage psoriatic arthritis may eventually require one, but I’m happy to kick that can down the road for as long as I can. Every day I’m not suppressing my immune system feels like a win.
I give myself a cheat meal about every ten days. It keeps me from feeling deprived and lets me hang onto a bit of my old life. I still need to get more consistent with exercise and maybe cool it with the bacon obsession, but that’s a battle for another day.
Here are a couple of recent recipe wins I’ve been loving:
Sheet Pan Gluten-Free PB Pancakes
1 Box (18 oz.) Trader Joe's (or any other kind) Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix
3 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Natural PB (The Loosey-Goosey Stuff from Costco is the BEST!)
2 Tbsp Flax Seed
2 cups Fairlife or Coconut Milk
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 Tbsp Ghee or Butter (optional—I skip it and they’re drier but still delish)
Mix wet ingredients together and stir into dry until just combined. Don’t over mix. Bake on parchment paper in a 12x18 sheet pan at 425°F for 7 to 10 minutes until the center is set.
Top with more natural PB and real maple syrup. Recently, we’ve added banana slices and walnuts and use way less syrup. The real stuff doesn’t have that fake addictive taste, so we’ve discovered a little dab will do ya!
PRO TIP: Baking them in a pan means everyone eats at the same time instead of Mom stuck flipping pancakes solo. WIN.
Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
I was hella skeptical. The texture was suspicious, and I braced myself to hate them. But—shocker—they were DELICIOUS. This is the recipe I used:
https://eatwithclarity.com/chickpea-chocolate-chip-cookies/
That’s all I’ve got for now! Be kind to your body, it’s the only one you get! For me, this means learn to embrace the chub.
If you’re enjoying these posts, you’ll love my books, because let’s be real, hilarious midlife escapes are a necessity right now.
Check out the Midlife in Aura Cove series, a completed, six-book paranormal women’s fiction series featuring three generations of women over 50 discovering their magic. Yeah, I know, there’s a theme in my writing. I can’t help myself.
And as promised, here’s a sneak at my upcoming new release, Nevermore.
A break-in, a lightning strike, and now she’s stuck in the past with a talking parrot. Midlife just got a time-travel twist.
