I am Alicia Bridges.

I was diagnosed with psoriasis at seven years old, and it took me a little over two decades to find an effective treatment.

I remember when I was younger, I had very flaky, dry knees and elbows, but we just thought that I had really dry skin.

My entire body was covered with itchy, flaky, brown, crusty patches of dry, inflamed skin.

It cracked, it bled. It sometimes felt like my body was being attacked by ants.

And my grandmother took me to the doctor. I surveyed my skin and

determined that I had psoriasis. Alicia tried every treatment possible, topicals, oral medicines,

even a tar treatment, but nothing brought more than temporary relief. The frustration began to take a toll.

I just remember being like, I'm going to have this condition for the rest of my life,

and there's nothing that I can do about it. I stopped going to the doctor. I stopped trying to

find treatments, and I sat in that for about two years.

Even with the shame and discouragement, Alicia bravely shared her story, speaking at National

Sorriasis Foundation events across the country. It was at these events that she eventually

connected with Dr. Wiseman, who would finally bring her the

life-changing relief she had been searching for.

And so there was an event in Atlanta, Georgia, a national psoriasis event, and I went.

I can't even remember what the event was about, but I do remember meeting Dr. Wiseman.

So we started having a conversation, and she was like, I can get you cleared up.

And so I set up an appointment with her.

She surveyed my skin.

Of course, she's like you have a very severe case of plexerosis, but I have this biologic.

And so she gave me my first biologic.

...