Being ill is so tiring. I'm just getting worse and worse :(
Sadly Shane left yesterday to go to his sister's for a race tomorrow towards his 1000km Challenge. I thought I could cope but I really can't.
I tried Sudocrem on my weepy legs after being told that it was good to stop the ooze as it's an astringent which helps to dry up secretions. Unfortunately it seems to have made the ooze worse. Just my sodding luck. However I am slightly worried after examining my legs where the ooze is at its worst... there appear to be bumps or palpules under the skin's surface and I'm terrified that it might be eczema herpeticum. I'm taking Aciclovir so it wouldn't be able to fully fledge itself and I've been so, so excruciatingly itchy that it has made me pause for thought; is it the result of over-scratched skin or the dreaded EH?...
I'll be going to the dermatology department on Monday morning for sure to get some guidance about it. I'll also require a sick note from my GP as I just can't go on like this. I went to work yesterday and only managed to last 2 and a half hours before putting my hands up and admitting my defeat. It's just too damn hard right now. With the constant bathing and showering, moisturising, heat and lack of sleep. I really am at my wits end.
Does anyone else find that when they moisturise so much it then makes the skin flake off into greasy balls which then makes you itchier than ever? It's a tough decision to make; do I dry up like a prune and experience itchy, flaky skin, or do I moisturise the problem and end up with greasy, flaky, itchy skin? The answer seems obvious but I just wish the itch would go away.
Hi Jenny! I'm dealing with a bad flare up now, having the same problem and it's driving me crazy. I was doing so much better during spring time! I used Protopic last month, but it didn't work this time. I guess I'm dealing with TSW now, yay. Welcome on board!
ReplyDeleteI send you a virtual hug :)
Ginny
Jenny - can you get into the bath? Do you have some dead sea salts (good for eliminating infection too)? Some people buy a bath pillow, as the bath is the only place one can feel tolerable. Keep topping it up. Stay there. get someone to bring you food while you are in it. As for grease - i know that 'grease ball' feeling. Vaseline was the only thing for me. Lots of others say the same. All other 'derm' greases - epaderm, hydromol etc, simply make you react. It gets better, so you can go back to your old moisturizers later down the line. You got some vaseline? Get a massive jar. You got antihistamines? Chomp a couple of 25mg atarax and see if it knocks you out. I once had 4 of 'em! You poor thing. Its such an ordeal. But look at Louise's pictures, and 'pinklikeabeacon's blog... it *will* get better. Until then, the bath is the only place to be. Elaine xx
ReplyDeleteHey Elaine. I'm sick of being in the bath! I keep switching between bath and shower as I find I can't get off as much of the dead skin in the bath. Haven't got any sea salts unfortunately. Was thinking of doing a bleach bath but it seems like too much hassle to fill up the tub and then to let it all out after only 10-15 minutes. I'm all alone at the moment too as the other half has gone to his sister's and isn't back until tomorrow. Then during the week he has to be at work so I end up being by myself most of the time which sucks. I'm using white soft paraffin by the bucket load which seems to be alright and I've used that and hydromol for years and years. Ran out of Atarax annoyingly and they'll only issue me with 28 25mg a month :( need to go see my GP on Monday if possible to sort out my medication. As I say I just hope it isn't eczema herpeticum starting again too as my life will be pretty much over. I was alright before in hospital because my skin was calm due to the Ciclo... but now it's a mess so I won't be able to deal with proper upkeep. Will probably get back into the tub in a few hours anyway xx
DeleteI know. Its so dull being in the bath. Its as though all you can do is lie there waiting to get better and yet it never seems to get better at all ... day after hideous day of redness. I was always so bloody tired too! I could do nothing at all but lie there like a zombie. Do take it easy with the dead skin rub-off. It can make the fresh stuff beneath be exposed too soon and the it dries out and feels really painfull.
DeleteIm sorry you;re alone. Its a sad business shuffling round with greasy bandages trailing... I had those cotton stretchy legs and arms from dermatology - a layer of vaseline then an arm tube... It was still hardlly tolerable. Wendy (Glasgow) and i agreed that pressure on the itchy area helps - especially on the arms. I used to wrap my arms tightly in old nappies (the 'real nappy' kind - thich cotton things) and bind them with postman's elastic bands (sounds mental, I know, but my tightly bound arms hardly ever itched.) . Wendy used a tubi-grip applied using a length of cut-off drainpipe! Something to consider later,, perhaps? My doc was mean with the atarax in the summer too - said it was due to the hay fever sufferers meaning the supply diminished (WTF??) and he couldn't give me the usual quantity. I believe benadryl is a good one too, however, and can be bought over the counter, I think. Never tried it myself. Damn that eczema herpeticum! I've never had it, but it sounds horrific! i wonder why it keeps coming back? Hope you get a few hours sleep tonight. Other half will be back soon, try to be strong! Easier said than done, I know. Sending you positive thoughts and a virtual hug... Elaine xx
I had a bath at about 11... got out at 12:30 to try to settle down. 2:30am comes and I have a mega scratch fit despite my tubegrips... so back in the bath I go to find there's barely any hot water left and to top it all off - get attacked by a huge spider. :(
DeleteI've made Shane buy me some cheapo light grey leggings from Primark so it doesn't matter if they get ruined. I'm running out of tubegrips though :\ they go a bit funny in the wash after a while. I sometimes still prefer to be naked as for some reason I always have preferred to let my skin air out than keep it tightly wrapped but I guess I'm just gonna have to get over it. The elastic bands sound like a great idea. Will have to have a hunt in my craft room as funnily enough my mum who works in the sorting office gave me a big bundle of postie's laggy bands :p that does sound mental about the drainpipe though lol!
I gave myself 2 Chlorphenamine tablets... think that's Piriton? But the itch fest still happened :(
xxx
HI Jenny! Lots of hugs to you!!! So sorry you are having such a difficult time and being alone to boot! My hubby has had to work over 60 hours each week since I couldn't work through TSW. So he is gone from 10 am until midnight 5 days a week. I have my 3 kids, but they are obviously not able to emotionally support me - I have to be strong for them. So I know in a way how lonely the days can be. I find I come online a lot or call my sister. Sometimes I just sit and play games because I have to take my mind off the pain. I too have had the experience of itching like a mad woman within an hour of putting ANYTHING on my skin - the first 3 months I just didn't bother with anything because it made it all worse. I now tolerate Vaseline and my healing balms but there are days when the itch will be really bad in certain areas - like my neck. I now scratch with a comb instead of my nails. I am just getting over an infection on my arms because of going back to work and having so much open skin. Hubby told me to just stay home for the next few months and try to get my skin healed over. So I am on a mission not to tear my skin open anymore - hoping this will help the healing process.
ReplyDeleteI pray you are not dealing with EH again. That stuff is scary. But maybe being off the ciclo, your immune system will kick whatever it is you are dealing with on your legs. You WILL get through this - one small step at a time. It's hard, but try to tune out for awhile - play games or listen to music. Before you know it, your other half will be home!
There have been so many days when my husband calls me from work to check in on me and I will be right in the middle of a huge crying jag - the first time he almost hung up so he could come right home - but I have to tell him that my crying jags will end and I will be fine by the time he gets home so he should just stay at work. At first I thought he would stop calling me because he was afraid of how I will answer the phone, but he still calls every day no matter how busy he is. While he is gone a lot - those phone calls are my life line.
Maybe we can find a way to chat? Or if you want we could always attempt to play yahoo card games online together. Let me know - I am home every day!
Hey lovely thanks for your comment it's nice to hear from others in the same boat. I'm too sleepy to write too much but Wow! Your hubby sounds like a machine bless him! How old are your kids?
DeleteDo you have Facebook? I'm pretty much always online because I'm incredibly sad ;)
We'll get through this together <3