Ed Dewke maintains Flaker HQ, an online resource for psoriatic patients. In the March-April update, Ed reports that “From Fiscal Year 1995 through FY 2005, National Institute of Health research funding for other diseases has DOUBLED, while psoriasis research at NIH’s skin institute DROPPED 22%. NIH-wide research on psoriasis was just $6 million in 2005, less than $1 per patient, out of NIH’s $28.6 billion budget, and the federal government’s $2.5 trillion budget.”
Figures. The problem is too many health care professionals address psoriasis as a dermatological problem instead of the immune system disorder that it truly is. The skin lesions are only an outward manifestation of bad mojo going on inside.
Anyway, when I discovered Ed’s site and saw that he had a Creativity page, I offered him free use of a handful of the Trace stories that deal with psoriasis. The first of those tales, Trace at the Tam, is up and running now.
I love Ed’s description of Wonderland:
This place cannot be described. You’ve got to visit it. But be forewarned: Don’t come with a prissy demeanor or lots of moral sensitivity — you’re likely to get beat up in the first screen full of information.
You’ve finally been recognized as a flake!
That is cool, though. And too bad with the research.
Aaaand I commented three times again. Curse my fragmented mind…
Our Great Leader Dubya is wanting to cut diabetes research. I have the strong feeling that he cut this research also. So what else is new? Compassionate conservatism, what a LIE!
I read some of the entries in the creative section and was blown away with realization after connecting the dots to your descriptions.
All psoriatrics pretty much share the same story, Nat.
Damn painful, RJ. Great story – love the poodle.
[...] Here I was, alone in a residential hotel in Glendale, on disability and suffering from another flare-up of severe psoriasis which made it difficult for me to walk or use my hands effectively, and Jo, when asked directly to [...]