‘It’s the worse comments that stick out’: Northampton woman speaks out after decades of suffering with skin condition

A Northampton woman has spoken out about her skin condition after years of suffering as she has found a ‘life changing’ treatment.

Roz Jones, who worked as a secretary for more than 40 years, mainly at Northampton General Hospital, was diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of three.

The now 65-year-old was told she would have to live with the condition for the rest of her life.

Roz spent many of her younger years trying all manner of treatments including being coated in a coal tar lotion, rubbing banana skins on herself and steroid treatments, but nothing was effective.

The retired medical secretary said: “I had chicken pox as a child and my mother took me to the doctor who said it was psoriasis and that I would have to live with it.

“This was devastating for my mum.

“I went through all sorts of treatments and most of them were grim.

“Some did help like the UVA lights as the sun helps most people with psoriasis, but it is not a long term cure.”

Roz does recall experiencing bullying at school for two years while she was an infant as she was called ‘crocodile’ and ‘leper’, but when her parents moved her to a new school, she was treated far better by her peers.

As she grew up, Roz went on to decide she wanted to become a nurse, but was dealt another blow due to her condition.

She was told that she would not be able to train as a nurse as she would not be able to ‘scrub up’ and that her arms - where the psoriasis was particularly bad - might have ‘distressed’ patients.

Roz also recalls experiencing some ‘nasty’ comments and was even asked to leave a swimming pool because of her skin.

She added: “I could understand it as people were more ignorant in the 70s and most people didn’t know what psoriasis was.

“It’s the nasty comments that stick more in your mind though far more than anyone who says it doesn’t matter.

“It’s the detrimental, worse comments that stick with you for years.”

After 62 years of dealing with the psoriasis, as well as the challenging experiences and treatments that come with it, Roz read about a different treatment - Soratinex - which she decided to try.

“I’m old enough to have got used to it now, but this treatment has been life changing,” Roz continued.

“If you suffer with psoriasis, you will try anything and this is quite acceptable to use.

“At first you think it is a bit of a faff and I thought ‘can I really be bothered?’, but I’m glad I did. It is worth the few extra minutes twice a day to apply the treatment.

“I would say I’m 98 percent clear now. Sometimes a little bit reappears on my face in the cold weather but that soon clears with the treatment.

“I suffered as a child and a teenager so if speaking out helps even one person it will have been worthwhile.”

Soratinex is a three step - a gel, cream and oil - steroid-free treatment plan for psoriasis.

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