Month 7 April 2013

Here we go into another month. My daily routine has changed again and I  guess this is another plus. I can actually get up and not have to jump into the bath straight away. In fact I can do a quick change of clothes and organise the kiddies then head off to school for drop off. Head back home and tidy up the house and jump in the bath around 1030..Amazing!!!

Skin in the morning skin feels smooth but kind of tight. I guess in need of moisturising. Nothing I've ever felt before, it's very strange. I think I may still have some swelling as my legs tend to still ache in the afternoon if I'm on my feet too much. My frustration this month is hives still. If I itch I get hives and they get real itchy. At the moment the itch is mainly on the inner thighs and sometimes on the creases of my elbows. Nothing a little Aloe Vera Gel won't fix though.

The above pictures are of my inner thighs and their progress. I certainly don't miss those purple legs. The pain that came with it, I just can't describe. Thank god that's over. Oh and this month I tried to have a shower. EPIC FAIL!  It felt strange but good at the same time. But certainly didn't get me through a whole day as comfortable as a morning bath did. And my night time cream routine is no longer except on this day I needed it before bed. So the journey continues with a daily morning bath. Seven months of bathing is beginning to feel like a never ending nightmare but I will slog on as I'm steroid free and seeing skin on myself that I haven't seen in a very long time :)

Me at seven months looking pretty normal with a nice skin colour..I'm hoping by the summer December 2013 I will be completely healed all going well. Fingers crossed xoxo 

Month 6 March 2013

MASSIVE improvements for this month. Im getting excited. Energy levels are up, skin is clear to the point it looks fairly normal. The feel of my skin though is very waxy and papery. I bath once only as soon as I get up and cream up in the late evening before bed. Sweating is gone. Nerve pain is gone. I woke up one morning and it was gone. TSW is weird that way. One day you're suffering, the next you're not. My skin still feels sensitive against clothes and sheets still though. A feeling I cant explain and only TSW suffers would understand. Sleep patterns are still over the place. Some nights are good, some are not. I still have the itch attack in the middle of the night. But its not for hours on end like it used to be. A quick scratch then back to sleep. And this is not every night, just some.

As you can see with my photos, a huge difference. No redness, skin is pretty white. I'm not completely healed but again on my way. I still have elephant skin on the back of the knees and back area but it's improving. My pain in the bum thing this month is HIVES! My skin seems to be ultra sensitive. On most of the forums, people seem to think having hives means you're on your way out. So I'm hoping I'm nearly there. 

I can get out and about for most of the day now and not have to rush home and have a bath too. Loving this and making the most of it. Making up for lost time. Can't wait till I can go out at night time. It will be like turning 18 again lol. 

Oh and I finally went and had the hair cut off too. I've had long hair for a very long time and it was pretty hard to be forced to have it cut off. But the end result made me feel so good. It looked thicker and healthier. So those who are loosing your hair. Don't worry it will grow back and think of it as a NEW BEGINNING!! 

Pretty happy with the way it looks. And as you can see I have some deep lines on my forehead, eye area and chin (if that comes up). That's from scratching and it's called lichenification. It will go back to normal with time. So try not to scratch so hard like I did and it shouldn't happen. Use an ice packs to ease the itch xoxo

Month 5 February 2013

Ok this month, I seemed to be getting better in leaps and bounds. My gorgeous mum decided to go home as I was functioning fairly well and I think I had a good routine in the morning to juggle the kids and me needs too.  I have managed to cut my baths back to one in the morning but still having to lather cream in the afternoon and just before bed. BUT it is progress heading into the right direction.

I have lost a total of 11 kgs and feeling it. My clothes no longer fit me and I look extremely skinny and frail. My appetite on the other hand is enormous! I don't know where it's going but it's certainly not hanging around on my hips! My hair is the saddest thing with TSW..I have lost I think about 2 3rds of my hair and I basically look like a cancer patient. I just havent got it in me to go to the hair dressers just yet. My scalp is full of scratches and cuts so I think I'II wait a little longer. I'm still feeling very self aware about the way I look, although I don't look as bad as I did from months 1-4..

In the above photo you can see my scalp as my hair has thinned alot. I normally just tie it up and hide it under a hat. Skin in general is clearing up though. I still have painful nerve pain on my torso area and the itch in the evening is very annoying...