Last week, I discussed how much I love written notes and how, growing up, I had a few different pen pals.

It got me thinking about the time in 4th grade when I had the opportunity to meet a pen pal that I had been writing back and forth to all year.

My elementary school had set up this program with another school, and we got to know friends from the other side of the state (growing up in Rhode Island, that meant it was an entire 30-minute drive to where this other school was... aka basically another planet if you grew up in RI!) 🪐

If you're unfamiliar, anything more than 10 minutes away in Lil' Rhody requires snacks, an itinerary, and maybe an overnight bag.

Well - the end of the year comes, and the other school had planned a field trip to come alllll the way 30 minutes south to visit us in our classroom - like true heroes making the dangerous trek to the southern coast... or at least past one Dunkin' Donuts.

We were all buzzing with excitement.

I was especially looking forward to showing my pen-pal my #1 favorite troll doll (yes, the ones with the bedazzled belly buttons) that I had vehemently discussed on multiple occasions in my letters, from my obnoxiously large collection. #Bless

Needless to say - I was ecstatic.

This was basically my Met Gala moment.

Back it up to the weekend before this huge event, I was outside playing in the woods until dark (as all 90's kids did) when we came upon a huge patch of poison ivy.

There's a whole other story here that I think I'll share in next week's musings - but the takeaway was that I ended up with a horrendous case of poison ivy - ON MY FACE.

I'm not talking about a cute little red spot...

I'm talking - I looked like I had lost a bar fight with a swamp monster. 🧟‍♀️

So here I am, walking into school a few days later, ready for a forever-friendship slow-motion montage of an embrace with my new BFF for life...

And When.I.Tell.You.... y'all - the look this little girl gave me literally said: nope, horror movie!

The look of shock, confusion, and pure fear is etched into my brain.

She then - literally - ran away from me back into her teacher's arms with tears in her eyes.

Pretty sure she was calculating how contagious swamp-face might be.

And I was MORTIFIED.

I tried hard to explain that I wasn't a freak and that this was just a terrible rash from a horrible collision with a patch of poison ivy...

And she just cried.

To make matters worse, later that day, I had to actually go get a steroid shot in my bum cheek because the rash was so bad.

Fourth grade really humbled me.

Looking back, that moment of "separation" is exactly the kind of imprint that fed psoriasis in my body.

Turns out, your nervous system remembers the sting of rejection way longer than your troll doll collection lasts.

THE GOOD NEWS, Reader? You can rewire that - in under 12 minutes.

And addressing these moments on a subconscious level is EXACTLY how I've holistically managed psoriasis for over two decades - without medication or it progressing into arthritis.

If you'd like to try the exact tool that I personally use and has helped over 1,000 women self-heal within my programs, simply CLICK HERE To access my Nervous System Reset.

Here's to fewer rashes and more regulation. 🥂

Chelsea Haines

Founder; Gut Health Agency