09/11/2026
: Jordan’s Story
"Hi, I’m Jordan Hicks and I’m from Texas originally, but moved to Las Vegas because I was desperate for better health care. I never imagined that in my early 20s, I’d be crawling on the floor with blistered hands, unable to walk, just trying to microwave a bag of frozen vegetables. But that’s what GPP did to me.
In 2021, my skin started changing rapidly. I didn’t even feel like I had skin anymore. We called it “unskin”. My body was covered in painful lesions, and I was in so much pain I could barely function. But still, I didn’t go to the doctor right away. I told myself other people needed care more than I did. I didn’t think I was worth the time. Eventually, I couldn’t avoid it any longer. I ended up in the emergency room and by that point, it looked like I had hugged a bomb. I was burning inside and out. The ER gave me hydroxychloroquine, which made everything worse. It took two more months to see a general practitioner, and then I was finally referred to a dermatologist. That’s when I was diagnosed with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP).
Getting that diagnosis in October of 2021 felt like progress, but that feeling didn’t last long. Even though I finally knew what was wrong, it took nearly four more years before I was prescribed the right treatment. Four years of living in isolation, of watching my life drift further and further away from where I thought it would be.
I used to be a dance instructor. I loved ballroom, Latin, and swing. I was building a cabin, applying to grad school, making plans. I was caring for my dad, who was battling cancer. And then GPP took it all. I couldn’t care for him anymore. I couldn’t dance. I couldn’t even recognize myself.
But earlier this year, something changed. I started a treatment that was finally approved for GPP — and it worked. The relief is hard to describe. I feel like I have a lease on life again. I’m about to try dancing again. That sentence alone is more than I thought I’d ever be able to say. I’m reconnecting with my friends. I’m planning a surprise visit back home to see my dad. I’m really looking forward so much to be able to love and be loved again.
GPP took so much from me. Years I’ll never get back. But it didn’t take everything. I’m still here. And I’m finally starting to feel like myself again."
Find support, resources, and more stories on our GPP Resource Center 🔗psoriasis.org/gpp-resource-center/
