10 Months TSW

Today will mark my 10 month anniversary of ceasing the use of topical steroids. My skin is still crazily up and down, day in day out, hour by hour, but it isn't stopping me from living so I can't complain.

As you saw from my previous post I have been trialing various lotions and potions to see if they make any substantial difference but nothing seems to really improve my condition. My skin is perpetually dry. In fact the other night I had a horrible itch fit where I was bright red and just could not stop the insane itch, which I was thinking must have been induced by an uptake in moisturiser and so the next day I went moisturiser free. It was manageable. I didn't bother taking a shower or washing myself at all and in fact did some exercise too to try to get some sort of oils going. Exercise was fine and the sweat didn't irritate... I was just very smelly by the end of the day!

The next morning however I looked like a porcelain doll who's face had cracked into a thousand and one pieces. The skin had become taught and wanted to come off in large flakes. I showered to help it along but I just couldn't cope because the dry, tight skin was worse to me than the itchy red skin so I caved in to using a tiny amount of moisturiser. I seem to be on the up again, though incredibly flaky but as I say, I can't complain too much.

I haven't had a day off work on the sick since the beginning of September 2013. That's more than 6 months ago! So I can only commend my body for letting me get this far. Sure, it will take time to fully recover and heal, to be able to wear black clothing again, to wear a bit of make-up, and possibly even dye my hair but I have come a hell of a long way in these 10 months.

I have an appointment with my derm nurse in about a week and a half, I know she'll nag me because the skin is still so dry but I haven't been to the hospital now since January 2nd so surely that must say something in its self? I'll also be told off for not taking my medication strictly but I don't feel I need it any more... she says... until the next mega flare... But no, I'm sure I'm fine.

I'm also interested to see what the summer weather will bring. Last summer and every summer prior to my TSW, I practically died from the heat. I was suffering from heat induced urticaria which has definitely lessened more recently. I can stand to be in the kitchen for longer periods cooking food standing over the hob. Sometimes I will overheat but it is a billion times better than it was initially.

Oh I should mention that I also reached 100,000 page views on Sunday just gone and celebrated with a gorgeous pina colada cocktail! No alcohol has touched my lips since August 2012 because I felt it aided my itchiness what with its dehydrating nature, so this was quite the celebration. I can report that I didn't get itchy afterwards and my skin was alright - Yay! I doubt I will be drinking much these days if at all because I am accustomed to it, but it's good to see that I didn't have the adverse affects I've been so cautious about.

So yes, thank you to everyone who has visited, commented and sent me kind words over this last year. Your support means so much <3 and I'm glad I have been able to create a resource that benefits others who also suffer from eczema.

Happy healing!x