In 2024, things got worse. After catching strep again (plus COVID and the flu), India’s body went into full-body flare mode. Steroids made her condition worse, so she turned to UVB light therapy, supplements like turmeric and vitamin D, and dietary changes. The result? She’s nearly clear now — not just physically, but emotionally too.

Managing visible flare-ups, especially on her face, was incredibly hard. People pointed, laughed, and made hurtful comments. But India found strength in self-love. She says, “Your skin doesn’t define you,” and she truly lives by it. The stigma began to break when she stopped hiding and started educating others. Now, when someone comments, she uses it as a teaching moment about psoriasis, helping to replace fear and misunderstanding with compassion.

India’s psoriatic arthritis diagnosis came after intense swelling in her foot, fingers, and hips. It was initially dismissed as being pregnancy-related. With a gene mutation that prevents her from taking methotrexate, she leans on holistic treatments like UVB, heat packs, Epsom salt baths, and careful diet adjustments.

Emotionally, India experienced rough patches. Pregnancy during flaring was one of the hardest periods. Still, she found hope in her children, her supportive partner, and a deeper understanding of her worth. “I love myself,” she says, “and I’m okay with myself.” Her message is clear: You can thrive with an autoimmune disease. Your diagnosis doesn’t change who you are — it just adds to the layers that make you uniquely strong.

Watch India’s story and find out more:

• What one flare taught her about the power of self-acceptance
• The surprising reason she had to stop using steroids and what worked instead
• How a strep infection changed the course of her health forever
• Why she tells strangers about her condition and how it breaks stigma
• The raw truth about being a young mom with psoriatic arthritis