Why this book exists
A focused place to understand what is happening
Fenella is forty-one and has had plaque psoriasis since she was nineteen. Last winter it covered a substantial part of her body. She was not sleeping, because of the itch and because of the flaking that meant changing the bedding every other day. She had stopped swimming, stopped wearing anything short-sleeved, stopped going to the gym, and had begun declining social invitations on the basis of a calculation about whether she could keep her arms covered in a warm room. At an appointment during that period, in response to a question about how she was managing, she was told that it was, at least, just a skin thing. The person who said it meant it kindly. What Fenella heard was that her entire situation had been assessed and classified as cosmetic..
The writing is designed to reduce shame, bring the underlying pattern into view and give you practical ways to respond without pretending that every life follows the same formula.
