I was unable to hold my newborn baby after agonising condition made it feel like bugs were crawling underneath my skin
Nicole Preece, 32, suffers from a rare form of the skin condition psoriasis which left her bedridden for six months
A MOTHER has revealed that her agonising skin condition left her unable to hold her newborn baby because it felt "bugs were crawling" underneath her skin.
Australian mum Nicole Preece, 32, from Victoria, was diagnosed with a rare form of psoriasis - known as Palmoplantar Pustulosis - following the birth of her daughter Scarlett two years ago.
The agonising condition - which causes the skin to blister and crack - left Nicole unable to hold her daughter in the first weeks of her life.
She told : "It was absolutely soul-destroying. I'm a happy, fun mum but this destroyed my life."
Having never suffered from any type of skin condition before, Nicole first knew something was wrong when she was recovering from her C-section in hospital.
After the painkillers wore off, Nicole became aware of the skin on her hands and feet "tingling" - but didn't think much of it at first.
Although Nicole remembers that her hands and feet continued to burn, her condition took a turn for the worse at the same time that baby Scarlett was rushed to hospital with seizures.
Blisters quickly began popping up on Nicole's palms which made her unable to hold her own daughter - yet alone use products such as shampoo and shower gel.
After numerous appointments, Nicole was finally diagnosed with Palmoplantar Pustulosis by a specialist dermatologist - but that was only the beginning of her struggle with the skin disorder.
The condition left Nicole bedridden for six months as walking with severely cracked and blistered feet became too painful.
Doctors told Nicole that the stress of her baby's illness is what triggered the condition.
During her 12 months of agony, Nicole recalled how she tried countless products to treat her skin and even put herself on a plant-based diet in an attempt to ease the symptoms.
What is psoriasis?
- The condition causes red and crusty patches with silvery scales to flare-up on the skin
- They normally appear on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back, but can crop up anywhere on the body
- The patches can sometimes be itchy or sore
- Its severity varies from person to person and for some people it is merely a small irritation or have a huge impact on their life
- Palmoplantar Pustulosis is an extremely rare form of psoriasis which causes blisters to form on the skin, usually on the hands and feet
Describing her daily discomfort, Nicole said: "The pain was unbelievable, it felt like walking on broken glass but the pain shot straight through my body."
"It was as if a bug was inside my skin, and it was just crawling around everywhere and biting my skin off."
In a desperate attempt to relieve her symptoms, Nicole even considered drinking her own urine - but couldn't bring herself to do.
- Eczema and Psoriassis Cream, £10 from MooGoo -
Fortunately, Nicole was able to relieve her symptoms with MooGoo's £10 Eczema and Psoriasis Cream which she used alongside medication from her doctor.
Now living in remission, Nicole posts about her recovery on to help other psoriasis suffers build their confidence.
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