Finding her voice
From January/February 2007 Psoriasis skINSIGHTS
In the nine years since she was diagnosed with psoriasis, National Psoriasis Foundation member Diana Cordio has grown to accept her disease and draw strength from talking about it.
When Diana Cordio, 33, of San Mateo, Calif., learned that she had psoriasis, she hardly mentioned it at all. "People, like my co-workers, didn't get it, and it was a while before I could discuss it without welling up," Diana says.
She got used to treating her psoriasis, but wasn't ready to accept that this was her life. "Then I tried a biologic and it failed—I was really devastated," she
says. "That's when I went to the Psoriasis Foundation message board, looking for a support group."
On the message board, Diana met fellow Bay area resident Jody Kim-Eng. After talking online, they attended the Psoriasis Foundation's 2004 National Conference together and decided to start their own support group.
"Once Jody and I got together, we were overwhelmed by the experience of connecting with someone who really understood," Diana says.
Through the message board and support group, she got used to discussing her psoriasis. "The more I learned and talked about it, the easier it became," says Diana. She found other ways to share her experiences by attending Capitol Hill Day and the national conference, and appearing in the documentary film, "My Skin's on Fire."
"Knowing there are so many people out there who have psoriasis and aren't talking about it made me want to speak out. Now, I want to shout it to everybody: What an ordeal it is to live with, and how, even when you're clear, you live in cautious joy."
In order to talk about your psoriasis, Diana says, "You have to shift your frame of mind from, 'This is happening to me, I'm a victim,' to 'This is part of my
life, and I'm going to do something about it.' "
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