Psoriasis Advance
The power of goals

Reprinted from Psoriasis Advance, our member magazine Join the Foundation today to access more in-depth news on treatments and research

From July/August 2006 Psoriasis Advance

How one man cleared the hurdle of psoriasis to run the New York City Marathon

Within two months—his marathon training disrupted—Urner's psoriasis had covered most of his body. His ankles filled up with fluid, and Urner finally checked himself into a Los Angeles emergency room. He learned that he has a serious form of psoriasis that causes widespread, fiery redness and can affect the body's temperature regulation, fluid levels and other functions.

Remarkably, with the help of expert medical treatment through the University of California Los Angeles, and a large dose of determination, Urner went on to run the New York City Marathon six weeks later—finishing the 26.2 mile race in the top 20 percent of participants.

Urner credits his positive attitude and ability to set goals for helping him fulfill his dream. "I told the doctor, 'I still want to go. I don't want this thing to get in the way of my life.' "

Learning to set and achieve goals, even small, day-to- day accomplishments, can help restore a sense of control—especially for people living with chronic, unpredictable diseases such as psoriasis. "You need to have something that's more than your disease," notes Tena Brown, a psoriasis consultant who has lived with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for more than 30 years. "It should be something you can look forward to, and something that should light you up."

For Urner, that "something" was the marathon. But setting smaller goals can be equally empowering— the main point is to choose an attainable goal for yourself and stick with it.

How to reach your mileposts There are many ways you can empower yourself in your daily life. It might be setting a goal of living a healthier lifestyle, taking charge of your treatment options, advocating for the psoriasis community—or anything else that is important to you. Psoriasis consultant Tena Brown and other goal-setting experts offer these tips: Choose a goal that is specific, measurable and realistic for you and your lifestyle. Write down your goal and place it where you'll see it on a regular basis—in your car, bedroom or on your bathroom mirror. Break the goal into small steps and take it one step at a time. Set a date for reaching your goal, and visualize yourself completing it. Keep a record of your progress so that you can look back at your success. Reward yourself for your efforts. Have a "goal partner" who supports your goal and can help you stay focused. Surround yourself with people who will support you in your efforts. Stick with it for at least 21 days. It takes three weeks to change a habit. Accept that there will be setbacks and have a plan for when you get discouraged. Don't give up!

According to goal-setting coaches, it's important to break your goals down into manageable steps—and to have a plan to stay committed to your goal when there are setbacks.

Scott Urner's challenge was dealing with the setback—and shock—of developing psoriasis for the first time at age 32, in the middle of his marathon training. Erythrodermic psoriasis is often treated initially with topical steroids, to bring the psoriasis under control. But it also can require aggressive treatment with powerful systemic medications for the psoriasis as well as medications to regulate body temperature and swelling.

Urner was fortunate that a prescription topical steroid and bedrest brought his psoriasis under control enough for him to resume training for the marathon.

He started running a mile or two at a time, increased it to four miles, six miles, then 10 miles—and continued to set the bar higher until he was ready for the race.

"It's about making a decision of what you want and taking steps toward doing it," he says. "In my life, I've taken what I could and used adversity to do something. When I get knocked over, I do concrete things. The marathon gave me something to actually do."

Urner also took concrete actions when he was feeling discouraged about his psoriasis. He leaned on supportive friends and gained a sense of control by learning everything he could about the disease. He became a member of the National Psoriasis Foundation and turned to the Psoriasis Foundation online message board for support and information.

Following the marathon, Urner filed an exuberant online post for his friends: "Of course many of you know that I was 90 percent covered and saw myself to the ER just six weeks ago. With the support from this site, I got the gumption to get back running and kept my goal of running the N.Y. marathon. And, no doubt, ran a personal best by 15 minutes: 3 hours, 49 minutes!!"

Just weeks after he ran the marathon, Urner was dealt another blow when his mother died. His positive outlook and connections with friends helped him through.

Life is improving for Urner. An inheritance from his mother helped him fund phototherapy treatment, which cleared his skin measurably. He has also given up his day job and is working full time as a comedy writer and actor.

"In a weird way, it's been kind of a blessing," he says. "I had to go through this terrible thing that summer, but I learned about my body, I'm eating better, and my lifestyle has changed. It was valuable."