Living with Psoriatic Disease: Stories of Strength and Resilience |Takeda Stories

This article features real patients sharing their personal experiences and is available to the public for disease awareness only. Individual experiences may vary. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice. This article is developed by Takeda. Speakers have received compensation from Takeda for their participation.

Kathleen has come a long way since she was first diagnosed with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

“Because of the psoriatic arthritis that started soon after I was 12, I was never able to be very active physically. The concept of going to school the way I felt, I just couldn't imagine how I was going to get through it. So, I didn't go,” she says.

Simmie faced a similar sense of isolation with her psoriasis. She spent years finding creative ways to keep her skin hidden. Finally, she had a realization that she was blaming herself for her psoriatic disease. Once she freed herself of that unfair psychological burden, she asked herself, “Why am I hiding it? Why am I not helping others? Why would I not support others, so they didn't have to suffer the way I did in silence?”

Now both she and Kathleen are advocates for people with psoriatic disease. They are among the patient voices that inform our “listen and learn” approach. From diagnosis to disease management, we are focused on addressing the unmet needs of people living with inflammatory diseases. This type of patient-centered advocacy is central to our company’s legacy of transforming lives.

Kathleen says she derives hope from researchers who are striving for greater understanding about the connection between psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and other elements of this disease.

“So many people around the world are putting their amazing brains and effort into researching psoriasis,” she says. “I think this is huge.”