Annie Lowrey

When scientists said that itching is a disease in and of itself, what they meant was that chronic itching changes the body's own circuitry in a way that begets more chronic itching, that implies that itching is not just a side effect, it's a body process in and of itself.

When scientists said that itching is a disease in and of itself, what they meant was that chronic itching changes the body's own circuitry in a way that begets more chronic itching, that implies that itching is not just a side effect, it's a body process in and of itself.

When scientists said that itching is a disease in and of itself, what they meant was that chronic itching changes the body's own circuitry in a way that begets more chronic itching, that implies that itching is not just a side effect, it's a body process in and of itself.

And so instead of just being a symptom, instead of being something where if you fix the underlying issue, you might fix the itch, itch itself can kind of rewire the body and can be treated as a condition unto itself. And a lot of dermatologists see itch that way. It's often a symptom, often a side effect, but sometimes it's really its own thing in the body.

And so instead of just being a symptom, instead of being something where if you fix the underlying issue, you might fix the itch, itch itself can kind of rewire the body and can be treated as a condition unto itself. And a lot of dermatologists see itch that way. It's often a symptom, often a side effect, but sometimes it's really its own thing in the body.

And so instead of just being a symptom, instead of being something where if you fix the underlying issue, you might fix the itch, itch itself can kind of rewire the body and can be treated as a condition unto itself. And a lot of dermatologists see itch that way. It's often a symptom, often a side effect, but sometimes it's really its own thing in the body.

We're going to start trialing different drugs to see if they affect my itching. And that's in part because doctors have been trying to figure out the appropriate set of drugs to treat my underlying disease. So I turn out to not respond very well to that one drug that has really changed the course of PBC treatment.

We're going to start trialing different drugs to see if they affect my itching. And that's in part because doctors have been trying to figure out the appropriate set of drugs to treat my underlying disease. So I turn out to not respond very well to that one drug that has really changed the course of PBC treatment.

We're going to start trialing different drugs to see if they affect my itching. And that's in part because doctors have been trying to figure out the appropriate set of drugs to treat my underlying disease. So I turn out to not respond very well to that one drug that has really changed the course of PBC treatment.

So they have me on second-line drugs that seem to be working well, and they will monitor me very closely in the same way that they do monitor all PPC patients. Because they know that the disease tends to be fairly slowly progressing, but that doesn't tell you anything about whether your disease will progress slowly.

So they have me on second-line drugs that seem to be working well, and they will monitor me very closely in the same way that they do monitor all PPC patients. Because they know that the disease tends to be fairly slowly progressing, but that doesn't tell you anything about whether your disease will progress slowly.

So they have me on second-line drugs that seem to be working well, and they will monitor me very closely in the same way that they do monitor all PPC patients. Because they know that the disease tends to be fairly slowly progressing, but that doesn't tell you anything about whether your disease will progress slowly.

And so they want to watch that in me because I was diagnosed relatively early in life with it. And the other thing is that I, like a lot of folks with issues with autoimmune diseases, ended up with a second autoimmune disease. So as an adult, I developed type 1 diabetes. And they're kind of watching and seeing if I develop other autoimmune conditions.

And so they want to watch that in me because I was diagnosed relatively early in life with it. And the other thing is that I, like a lot of folks with issues with autoimmune diseases, ended up with a second autoimmune disease. So as an adult, I developed type 1 diabetes. And they're kind of watching and seeing if I develop other autoimmune conditions.

And so they want to watch that in me because I was diagnosed relatively early in life with it. And the other thing is that I, like a lot of folks with issues with autoimmune diseases, ended up with a second autoimmune disease. So as an adult, I developed type 1 diabetes. And they're kind of watching and seeing if I develop other autoimmune conditions.

So I'm very, very, very likely at some point to develop something called Sjogren's, which affects, among other things, the tear ducts in your eyes. And so they've been watching. They're like, OK, are you diagnosable with other things? Do we think that the autoimmune process within your body has kind of slowed down and stopped?

So I'm very, very, very likely at some point to develop something called Sjogren's, which affects, among other things, the tear ducts in your eyes. And so they've been watching. They're like, OK, are you diagnosable with other things? Do we think that the autoimmune process within your body has kind of slowed down and stopped?

So I'm very, very, very likely at some point to develop something called Sjogren's, which affects, among other things, the tear ducts in your eyes. And so they've been watching. They're like, OK, are you diagnosable with other things? Do we think that the autoimmune process within your body has kind of slowed down and stopped?

And I had some frustrating conversations with my doctors where they'd kind of be like, OK, let's keep on doing more blood work. Let's do biopsies. Let's do tests. Let's talk about, you know, like improvements that we can see in these hard and fast numbers. And I would say, OK, but can we talk about my symptoms? Like I'm not sleeping very well and the itching isn't as bad now as it has been.

And I had some frustrating conversations with my doctors where they'd kind of be like, OK, let's keep on doing more blood work. Let's do biopsies. Let's do tests. Let's talk about, you know, like improvements that we can see in these hard and fast numbers. And I would say, OK, but can we talk about my symptoms? Like I'm not sleeping very well and the itching isn't as bad now as it has been.