The program begins with patient stories. You first hear from Vina – she is currently being treated for erythrodermic psoriasis. She first developed plaque psoriasis as a teen. Her skin was scaly, and then she began to have symptoms of EP which caused redness, swelling and her body temperature to rise. Vina has even been hospitalized because of the condition. Next you’ll hear Jeff’s story. Jeff is National Psoriasis Foundation volunteer of the year for 2008. He speaks about how a new treatment he was trying for plaque psoriasis triggered an erythrodermic flare. Both patients share their perspective on living with EP and what their treatment journey has been like.

Dr. Van Voorhees helps us to understand the symptoms, diagnosis, complications, and causes of erythrodermic psoriasis. She provides information on the treatment options available and how best to manage EP. Dr. Van Voorhees goes on to answer a variety of listener questions. Listen now to learn more about this very serious condition.

Jarrod, a middle school teacher, shares his story of growing up with psoriasis and the long journey he’s had with finding the right treatment. He talks about kids calling him “Spot” and later developing pain in his joints, which turned out to be psoriatic arthritis. Brenda, a nanny in California, also shares her story. She developed psoriasis at the age of 13, and psoriatic arthritis at 21. At one point she was about 98-percent covered and couldn’t walk, and suffered from depression.

The latest research has shown that psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are related, and certain biologic medications can treat both problems in some individuals. Both medical experts discuss the latest in their area of research and what it means for psoriasis patients. Dr. Ritchlin explains different symptoms one can expect from psoriatic arthritis, and how the condition differs from other inflammatory joint diseases. Dr. Korman describes treatment options including topicals, ultraviolet light, and oral medication, which can often relieve both the skin problems of psoriasis and joint problems that arise from psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriasis is more than just a skin condition, and it can cause other serious problems if left untreated. Listen to this webcast to learn more about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis from both a dermatologist and a rheumatologist. Find out how to locate experts that meet your needs, and hear inspiring stories from patients. This program is a well-rounded discussion that’s not to be missed.

Tena Brown, from Texas, was diagnosed with psoriasis, an auto-immune condition at age 13. She suffered for many years. Fortunately, new biologic therapies have helped control her condition. But the journey has been a long and difficult one, and it required her to speak up boldly for herself.

?I decided to become a powerful patient, and thank God that I did, because it enabled me to take my health into my own hands and realize that, hey, like you said, this is my body; this is my treatment; these are my dreams. I was not going to be resigned to a life of misery; that I was going to take my disease, find a way to find the best treatments and the best doctors, and find a way to live with it in a powerful, empowering way. So, for me now, 35 years later, I'm on one of the new drugs, one of the new biologic drugs, which has been a godsend, and I found that because I, once again, educated myself. I studied. I found physicians that were really empathetic and compassionate and top leaders in the field that could prescribe and help guide me in the direction I wanted to go.?

Lynne Matallana from the National Fibromyalgia Association had a similar experience when she found herself sudden wracked by the pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia:

?I had endometriosis, which oftentimes does overlap for people with fibromyalgia, and went in to have a surgery and ended up waking up during the middle of the surgery, and it was like a light bulb had been turned on, and no matter how hard I tried to flip that switch to turn it off, it wouldn't, and I just felt like every part of my body was on fire; that maybe acid was running through my veins, and I ached from head to toe, and it didn't go away. I thought, you know, it would take time to recuperate from the surgery, but days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months, and as time went on, the illness became worse and worse.:

She stayed I bed for months but finally connected with the right doctors and began to find some relief. She also found that many others had struggled in the same way:

?We were people who were struggling going from doctor to doctor and were basically told that there was nothing wrong with them, that this was just all psychological and in their head, and we all knew that that wasn't the case. We knew that there was something physiologically going on within our bodies. And so, after seeing 37 doctors and finally getting my diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I was fortunate enough to start looking at the internet and sending out information, and before I knew it, I had other people who wanted to join my effort.?

Lynne has become an inspiration to many as she founded the National Fibromyalgia Association, a model for ?smarter patients? and how they can help improve care for all.