Says Sabrina, “I wanted to [show] those living with psoriasis that it’s possible to have a happy, healthy, and stylish life while you’re managing a chronic disease like psoriasis.” “I wanted to be that resource that I wish I had,” Sabrina says. “Just somebody like myself living with a disease like this, who can tell you really what it’s like. Not just the good things, but the bad things as well…and [who can provide] a source of positivity and inspiration.” In addition to her blog, Sabrina is a freelance writer for health organizations like the National Psoriasis Foundation. More than just a skin disease, psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disorder, and flares can be brought on by a variety number of factors, particularly stress. While the most common symptoms of psoriasis are visible — dry and inflamed patches of skin that can itch, burn, and bleed — it can also cause joint pain, fatigue, and mental stress. When you’re a working mom with deadlines and two children under 4 years old, however, life can feel too chaotic to put your own health first. “I feel like a lot of us have mom guilt,” says Sabrina. With Homegrown Houston, she wants “people to know that it’s okay to take care of yourself and not feel guilty about it.” Sabrina finds that the most helpful way to achieve this balance is just by having a routine: “My morning routine is sacred to me — my husband knows that, even my kids know that.” She wakes up before the rest of the family and takes time to exercise, sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee, write, and practice meditation or daily devotions. Sabrina’s morning routine is just the tip of the iceberg, though, when it comes to her approach to self-care. “To me,” says Sabrina, “[psoriasis] affects every decision that I make on a daily basis. Whether I’m going to be able to get down on the floor and play with my kids in the morning — or are my flare-ups on my elbows going to hurt? Is the cup of coffee that I have in the morning going to affect my psoriasis? Is this different climate going to affect my psoriasis? It’s these decisions that I think people don’t understand that affects living with this disease.” For more on self-care, check out Sabrina’s Wellness Wednesday blog posts, which break away from mom life and fashion to focus on “me time” tips that contribute to overall wellness and psoriasis care — like exercising, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, and taking steps to manage stress. “They might not understand that it’s an autoimmune disease,” she says, “but I can tell them that it’s a disease that I live with.” She explains to them that “disease” means something that makes her sick, and that when you’re sick, you take medication. “[My son] will help me put lotion on, and he’ll ask, ‘Does it make you feel better, Mommy?’ I say, ‘Yes, it makes me feel better.’ Just talking to him in a language that he understands helps him understand that it’s something I live with on a day-to-day basis but that he can help me, too.” It’s important for Sabrina to use these moments to teach her children about compassion as well, especially toward people who might look different. “If [my son] is noticing that something is different on me,” she says, “then he’s going to notice it on other people, too. So I try teaching him to be compassionate. I want him to know that no matter how people look, we need to be accepting.” Finding that support can mean joining groups through the National Psoriasis Foundation, connecting with other bloggers and advocates who are living with the condition, and leaning on your family and friends. Sabrina says that her husband has been a constant source of support — ever since they started dating. Early in their relationship, when she opened up about her psoriasis, he responded by saying, “I’m dating you for you. The way you look is just a bonus, but I’m dating you for who you are.” Part of her husband’s support consists of knowing when she needs a break and stepping in to help. “When you have young kids, you can never turn off,” Sabrina says. “There are days when my husband gets home from work, and I tell him I need 10 minutes to go sit in our room and regroup so I can get ready for the last two hours of the day. “Because if I’m not at 100 percent,” she adds, “then I can’t take care of my family at 100 percent.”
