3yrs Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Hey everyone!

Today marks my 3 year milestone of ceasing the use of topical steroids and other steroidal treatments. I won't say I'm healed... not by any means. But I am able to live life comfortably again and without much disruption.

My face and neck area are still my most problematic areas but they have been since the age of about 16. They were also the areas where I used the most creams and ointments so it makes sense really for it still to be over-sensitive and quick to react to potential triggers and allergens.

I'm still on Ciclosporin but I've dropped my dosage to 250mg, down from 350mg, and though my skin hasn't completely cleared up, as it did the very first time I used it, it's still helping me on the days where I do struggle.

I also had a cold sore this past week and decided not to take as much Aciclovir as I usually do, just to test the waters and see if it would spread and turn into eczema herpeticum. Luckily my prayers were answered and it didn't spread at all from my lip. It did however take longer to heal and I kept managing to knock off the scab, but my body finally seems to be helping itself out. My vegan diet still isn't perfect and there are still refined foods in there but I am choosing more whole food options where I can.

I've also started to exercise! This was a huge problem for me for years before I even discovered TSW. I mean I've never been into exercise as I was the fat, unfit kid at school who was self conscious and didn't care for getting hot and sweaty and then having to traipse around for the rest of the day feeling disgusting... but it got to a point where my skin just couldn't handle sweat. I had heat urticaria and it would sting, burn and itch like hell if I so much as became slightly too warm. So I'm pleased to say I can now sweat and do exercise. My skin does suffer sometimes, for example when I go out for a run, the elements are not usually in my favour and I find that the wind can cause my skin to flare and I then spend the next few days with a red blotchy face. This also seems to occur when I go to the gym and I'm wondering if the cause is because I'm being exposed to other people's skin bacteria? However exercising at home then jumping straight into the shower seems to be mostly fine for me. I'm hoping to improve on my skin tolerance the more I do it.

At the beginning of this whole saga, you may or may not remember that I became extremely allergic to cats, despite having grown up with them. This allergy has now diminished drastically and I don't think it's a coincidence that the lack of steroids has helped to rebuild and repair my broken skin barrier that was making me more susceptible to allergic reactions. I'm hoping in the not so distant future that I'll be able to get a cat. More time and exposure is required though me thinks.

Another thing that has happened, that I've talked about before - 3 years ago I had reached a point where I struggled to work my part time job. I struggled to put clothing on, let alone the ability to actually leave the house! I was a complete and utter mess. In July last year I built up my hours to 30 per week. In September I had upped them to 36 and I have managed to work a full time job without a skin sick day for well over a year now. It's staggering to see just how far I have managed to come. I no longer ooze. I believe the last time I had ooze was over a year ago too and that was actually because I had an infection.

This time in 2 weeks I will be at a festival in another country that is significantly hotter in temperature. I could only have dreamed of doing that this time 3 years ago, and finally it can be a reality. I am scared that my skin will relapse but I'll arm myself with antihistamines and the like, wear cooling clothing etc. and just have a bloody good time. I do deserve it after all. I'm not camping though. I think those days of being a smelly mess out of choice are well and truly over. No, we will be living it up in a 4* hotel, so if I do relapse then I'll have comfort. It is truly wondrous though to see how far my skin has come. When the weather became hotter here in the summer I struggled so much with my urticaria but thankfully now it seems to be something of the past. I can also eat spicy food now, stand in front of the cooker with the hobs blaring, and even wear layers of clothing! Miraculous!  

I also generally have more energy - whether this is due to my vegan diet, my uptake of exercise or my body finally having a break from healing my skin, I can't say. But it's bloody good stuff. My hair has also gotten thicker. Back in January 2012 I took Methotrexate which resulted in the loss of my already fine hair which I put down to having scalp eczema. Right now it is the thickest it has been for a long time, though of course my hair has never been massively thick, but I'm no longer embarrassed for having the skinniest pony tail in the world.

I can't remember when I last had to hoover my bed. I used to have to hoover it every single day, multiple times a day, as well as lay on towels to stop the ooze from staining my bed sheets; soak off dried oozy tissues that had hardened onto my face; constantly endure the metallic and pungent rotting aroma of the ooze; the sleepless nights; running a bath at 3am and spending the next 6hrs topping up the water and falling asleep in it just to get some respite... I'm so glad those days are behind me.

Some photographs from my skin hell journey over these past years:

 PRE-TSW

Weird triangle-nose face rash

Weird rash on thigh

Bruising on thigh from over-scratching

Same as 1st image but a different day

DURING TSW

Allergic reaction to staying round mum's with the cats

All greased up with my arms covered to stop scratching and ooze, and red rashes on thighs

A mixture of TSW/ MRSA/ Elephant skin

Swollen eye

During MRSA/ TSW period

The result of bad skin and skin picking compulsion (dermatillomania)

Rash

Eczema herpeticum and Cellulitis of the eye

Red sleeve 

MRSA/ TSW

Ooze

Leg sleeve

Development of Pompholyx

Tummy rash

Skin flakes

More flakes

Tight, hardened ooze and raw open wounds

Thigh rash

The tissue nightmare of constant ooze

Elephant skin

2014 - Thin hair

I have faith that my skin will get ever stronger. I fully accept that it will take years and that I may never truly heal because of the extensive damage that I have bestowed upon my skin, thanks to doctors and dermatologists who have misdirected me in terms of usage safety, but I will get there.

Hope everyone else isn't suffering too much. Happy healing!

23.5 Months Steroid Withdrawal Ramble

Hey guys, never fear - I'm still alive!

I'm nearing the 2 year mark! Things still aren't going brilliantly, I'm still having flares and such and still taking Ciclosporin but overall I don't have too much to complain about as I've been able to go to work and live life a bit. I believe it has been nearly 2 months since my last infection so that's pretty great going for me.

I have a dermatology appointment at the end of the month in which I was going to inquire about the Dupilumab trials/ other biologic treatment, but I'm still unsure as of what to do. I do however feel I need intervention in order to carry on with my job and such. My goal this year is to be working a different job with full time hours. I'm fed up of being ill and I want to get on with my life's ambitions, of which have had to be put on hold because of being poorly. Saying this, I'm not sure what my career goals are. I've been aiming towards working in an office environment as I think that will be better for my health, but all in all I'm at a loss as to what I want to actually do. I'd love to get into copy writing or some such but not too sure what the preferred route is into such an occupation.

My diet could be cleaner, as I say every time I write a post. I do my best to eat well and reduce my dairy intake, however in the last few months I've put on a little bit of weight which I must do my best to shift. Exercising vigorously has still been somewhat of an issue though when I have endured flares so I just do what I can... which admittedly isn't a lot.

At the moment my face is doing alright, though it was far better yesterday. My arms and chest need a little bit of work and the backs of my knees have signs of irritation but overall I seem to be doing alright. I've been mostly pale this week which is good news.

Also my little space on the internet is about to hit a quarter of a million views. That is quite frankly, insane! Thanks to everyone who visits and I'm so happy from reading your comments and emails that I have been able to help so many of you to know that you're not alone, and to even show people that they may not just have 'eczema' any more, you may be suffering from red skin syndrome/ topical steroid addiction. But I will apologise for being distant. I think I'm just going through a bit of a blogging rut, which many people do, but it has been nice to take time out and reflect.

I hope everyone is doing well!

Living With Eczema Book

As you are aware I endeavour to spread awareness about eczema and how horrible of a condition it can be. I was contacted in the summer of last year by Mei of http://eczemablues.com/ to share a picture of my eczema for a book she was co-authoring with her daughter's doctor, Professor Hugo van Bever. Of course I said yes as I love to do anything that may help others.

The book is finally out and is incredibly interesting and detailed as it is split into 3 parts; Learning about Eczema, Living with Eczema, and Eczema and Beyond. The first chapter discusses the basics of eczema and gives an in depth insight into eczema as a condition and why eczema occurs. This then leads on to the second part which details diagnosis, triggers, prevention, treatment and adult eczema. Finally, the third part looks at future research and the things that don't work. Between each chapter we are also faced with questions asked by Mei to Professor Hugo who answers all the things we've ever wanted to know about eczema.

It is a factual book that is written professionally yet can be understood by all and the pictures used are really helpful in giving a better idea of how eczema presents itself. However the only problem is I think there was some confusion when selecting images as the photograph that was used of me was inserted under the eczema herpeticum heading. I don't actually have herpeticum in that picture so it is a false interpretation of what it looks like. I actually had MRSA there.

Image used to depict herpeticum is actually MRSA

Eczema herpeticum with secondary cellulitis infection

For those wondering, yes it does cover the topic of steroids and also steroid phobia, but it is fair in saying that people should not be frightened of them so long as they are not misused. I definitely did, and was advised to misuse them, hence my topical steroid addiction. It also includes a table featuring the potencies of common corticosteroids and another to advise on their application. It does detail numerous other treatments also.

Aside from the photograph issue, I think the book is excellently laid out and written and will be an asset to those who live with eczema and also for those who don't but want a better understanding of the condition.

Thank you Mei for allowing me to help your project.

Book cover

For more information please visit: http://eczemaqna.com/

1yr Post Topical Steroids

So the day has arrived, it has been exactly one whole year since I ceased the usage of topical steroid creams.

Without a doubt it was definitely the right decision to make. My health was rapidly deteriorating and I was just becoming more and more ill with constant infections both of the skin and otherwise, an overwhelming tiredness that would force me to take naps and ever worsening allergies. I was a mess. In fact, it wasn't until August of last year when I discontinued taking immunosuppressants that my body finally stopped being so overwhelmed and my immune system could finally start to function again normally.

What I can conclude over this past year and why I think topical steroid withdrawal is the best thing to do if you realise your skin is addicted and your eczema is so severe that you rely solely on these "magical" creams, is that I am in a much better place than I was. I have had far fewer infections, I don't have the infamous red sleeves any more, my eyebrows have grown back in, less visits to the hospital, the way my face rashes (it doesn't have the appearance of looking fully sun burnt, bar my nose any more but instead tends to be blotchy if anything), being able to get dressed sooner after showering, no need for excessive moisturiser, my heat induced urticaria is a lot better and I can even eat spicy foods now without rashing... the list goes on and on but they are all I can think of right now.

My allergies have diminished dramatically. Despite having lived with cats my entire life, out of the blue I just became massively allergic to them and in just a few months, funnily around the time that I was uptaking my use of steroid creams, my allergies became so severe that within just hours of being in the same house as them I would break out in full body hives and have an acute asthma attack. I would always, always be sent on my way to A&E at the hospital whenever I visited home. Yet now, I can stand to be in the same room as the cats, we're not at picking up and stroking level yet, but I can and have lasted for more than 9 hours in their presence and my skin hasn't flared so ridiculously nor has my asthma been an issue. Remarkable.

I won't lie to you, I'm not in a brilliant place right now. I'm still flaring as I was in my previous post on my face, neck, chest, stomach, hips, arms and inner thighs but my back is pale and smooth, as are my lower legs and feet. I still have scars from the excessive scabbing from my bout of MRSA last year but these are becoming less and less noticable as time goes by.

I am however still able to go to work and get dressed and go out when I need to, but just recently I've been reverting to having some "recovery" days just to help my body along. The stresses of moving to a new city have obviously taken their toll and I am an overly anxious person who worries about every little pointless detail so it isn't any wonder really that I would be having a flare. I do however think my current rash has the appearance of a yeast infection so am taking a course of anti-fungal tablets, just in case, and hopefully this will get rid of it.

I must also make a point of how apologetic I am for not getting round to responding to your comments and emails, believe me I do read each and every one of them and am hugely humbled by your support and knowledge that my blog has helped you, but I just don't seem to have had a great deal of time to reply at present. It is definitely appreciated though and I thank you <3.

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

Happy Birthday I Have Eczema Blog!

Tomorrow will mark 1 year since this here blog has been up and running. No doubt there will be a celebration of cake to mark the occasion... any excuse for cake in this household!

This blog matter has come a very long way though seeing as I originally started it up to inform others about how severe eczema can be as a condition, only to then learn that the reason I was suffering so terribly was because I had gone on to develop a condition called topical steroid addiction. It has changed my life now knowing what I am suffering from.

I have also been subject to some very exciting opportunities which have only happened because of this blog such as writing for Talkhealth, having an article printed in a nationwide magazine, writing guest posts on other people's blogs and even taking part in competitions that my readers have also benefited from. I've reached over 80,000 page views which is absolutely fantastic to know that I have been able to reach out to so, so many people over this past year. Your emails and comments help keep me going and I really cherish them, even if I can be lax in responding (I'm sorry!).

Unfortunately there are no celebrations to surround my skin. It still isn't letting up just yet, despite my best efforts to try to keep it under some form of control. Just seems to be one of those annoying inexorable things that comes part and parcel with topical steroid withdrawal.

 Right side of face

 Left side of  face

Neck

 Part of breast

Torso

Topical Steroid Withdrawal Month 7

So Sunday 22nd December marked my 7 months of topical steroid withdrawal.

My skin is still pretty much like it was last time I took photos and it may actually be a little worse in some areas compared to then, however my skin is still pale. There is no profound all over redness which is how it used to be on a near-constant basis. I am just covered in scabs and the only redness is from the skin directly surrounding those so I can't really complain.

My face is a little pink but that's just from rubbing at it. It isn't very noticeable and I no longer get questioned about looking too hot or sun burnt so that's a plus.

As I said previously life is pretty swell. I was trying to remember in the car on the way back from a little social gathering with Shane's brother and girlfriend, the last time I actually had a whole day off to be housebound. These days were essential to me about a month ago as I felt I constantly needed days to recuperate to allow my skin to recover for leaving the house, but these past few weeks I've been so busy and not felt I needed time off. It's bloody good.

This past week alone I've worked 30+ hrs  and even gone out after work for social events. Before that just wouldn't have been possible, it would have to be one or the other or neither as I would have had to take a shower and take time out to recover. It seems I no longer need to.

Don't get me wrong - I still get itchy as hell and have to go to bed earlier than anticipated some nights to avoid mauling myself to death, but I'm happy and no longer feel so disadvantaged.

I think the fact I did work so many hours this week proves that I can hold down a full time job. I'm so excited for next year and just starting afresh. After having lived like a hermit bound to this stupid condition for the past 5 years it's definitely needed!

I have a hospital check up on Jan 2nd with my derm. I haven't seen her since August but I can only imagine she'll take one look at me and gloat that my arms and legs aren't healed due to not using steroids. She can sod off quite frankly.

Hope everyone manages to have a good Christmas, you all deserve to!

xx

Eczema Herpeticum (Round 8 for Reals)

So as mentioned yesterday after I was having such a good time, my skin had to perk up and remind me that I'm not out of the woods just yet. Eczema Herpeticum round number 8 (this time it is number 8 because August's bout turned out to be MRSA) has decided to renounce itself.

It started on Sunday evening when I got in from work, just in the outer corner of my eye. By yesterday morning my eye had gunked itself shut (mmm!) and I was left with an unsightly pink and bloodshot eye. The fact it had done that filled me with dread as I knew instinctively that it was definitely herpeticum that I was dealing with. I had my usual shower around lunch time and as the skin on my face was particularly uncomfortable and dry I decided to moisturise the rest of my face, completely avoiding my eye area. Of course that didn't seem to matter in the slightest as the moisturiser then acted as a catalyst of which to spread the bloody disease across all regions of my face. I'm my own worst enemy.

Poor gammy eye

I decided to go in to work anyway as it would take my mind off the widespread tingling sensations and volts of pain that come with its territory, regardless of the fact I knew I looked disgusting and children would cry and mother's would scream in sheer horror. Obviously that didn't happen and no one said anything or flinched away from me so that boosted my morale somewhat. As it was nearing the end of my shift I looked at myself in a mirror (oh vanity!) and saw that the pustules were more widespread and oozing fluid so that it looked as though I was sweating heavily. Simply delicious!

Oh, I'm so attractive with my gammy eye!

When I got home I immediately went into the bathroom and began to dab at the oozing pustules with tissue, making sure to use a new section of tissue every time to avoid the spread. This seemed to work a treat as today although my eye was still gunked shut and my face is drier than dry the pustules are dessicated so are unable to spread further hurrah!

Luckily on Sunday night when I had an inkling that it could be herpeticum I sought out some left over 800mg Aciclovir tablets from my last bout and was able to take those. I have since been to visit my GP this morning to get a proper lot in which I can finish the course.

Go away herpeticum you're not welcome!

Topical Steroid Withdrawal: Allergies

When my eczema first began to worsen and become a full body problem I was sent straight to a dermatologist to determine what had  caused this to happen after years of only having had dry and sensitive skin with the occasional rash. After being given prescription after prescription of stronger topical steroid creams, nothing was helping to ease the issue. As the skin first showed signs of inflammation and eczematous skin on my exposed areas (face, neck, chest and arms) it was decided that my problem was down to environmental issues. Blood was taken from me to determine what allergens were prevailing my ailment and the results came back as severely allergic to cats, dogs and dust mites.

Now, the thing that puzzles me most is that prior to this time I did not react severely when faced with any of these allergens. There were cats present in our household before I was born which have still remained to this day (not the same cats as that would be crazy having a cat that was older than 24!) as we are a family who are very fond of them. In a similar vein dust mites were the highest rated of all the allergens which is humourous given that I spent 3 years of my teens working as a cleaner where high levels of dust was present.

My Mum's beautiful mogs

Sure, prior to my eczematous epidemic I may have been a tiny bit allergic to these things, with the odd runny nose and itchy eyes, but this became disastrous. I suffered all summer long with little respite until I left home to attend University in the September, where my condition eased itself to an extent and life became "manageable" again. (Life with eczema is never manageable as even when your allergens are diagnosed the beast still rages on for no real reason, other than "it just does"... or so the specialists like to tell me.) Getting rid of the cats was not an option, and in fact I wanted my Mother to keep more as I didn't want her to be on her own and cats are my favourite animal afterall. When I returned home for a visit in November/ December time, just a couple of months later, all hell broke loose and I was hospitalised with a severe allergic reaction.

This continued until I was given Ciclosporin the following year, which I have previously detailed in this post. When I was forced to discontinue the drug I was back to square one with my allergies. They were still severe and I had to stop visiting my Mum at home; my home. I had to change my position at work; the warehouse and shop floor were too dusty and I was flaring all over the shop, quite literally!

Recently all this has changed.

When I stopped using the topical steroid creams in May of this year I had no idea what would be in store for me. A question on ITSAN's FAQ page struck me, it had stated that:

"Q: Why am I allergic to things that never bothered me before?


During topical steroid withdrawal, your body is very sensitive. After withdrawal, it will return to normal. Allergy testing during topical steroid withdrawal is inaccurate because your system is hypervigilant and reacts more than it normally would."

If this was true it could mean that in the future after withdrawal my life may not be so constricted. I might be able to actually visit friends and family who own pets, be able to carry out routine house cleaning, and generally return to a more normalised lifestyle. It also confirms that my allergies that were only ever mild prior to the eczema break out became severe because of the use of topical steroid creams.

Miss Kitty's blog post entitled "I am not allergic to cats" gave me further hope. Maybe one day I will even be able to own a cat myself.

See! I never used to be so allergic

Last month I visited my Mum. I figured I would probably have a flare so prepared myself for the worst. My skin didn't flare up and I didn't even take my asthma inhaler once! What was this madness, a crazy fluke?! I'm beginning to wonder what is going on.

This week at work a maintenance man took apart one of the tills that had been freezing through transactions to find that it was chock-a-block with dust. I didn't think to tell him that I had allergies and just backed away a bit as he blew it literally everywhere creating clouds of dust that hung in the air and choked me. Do you know what? I didn't need to take my inhaler that evening though my skin did flare later on but I think it was actually more due to the fact I was so dry after work as I haven't been moisturising.

And just yesterday, the very thing that prompted me to type this post... I went to a friend's flat who has the fluffiest cat in history that malts like nothing I've ever seen before, cat fur EVERYWHERE! They'd forgotten to hoover before my arrival, but it didn't matter and it isn't something I'd expect people to do, why should they? Whilst I was there I think I only took my inhaler twice, sure my nose was running by the end of the day and I started sneezing but the fact is I was there from 8am until 5pm. That's an awfully long time to spend with one of my allergens, especially one so fluffy as this beautiful mog.

The fluffiest of mogs! (Image courtesy of The Retired Bridgeburner)

I will admit that I couldn't stop sneezing all the way home and couldn't sleep last night because my nose was blocked but considering I used to literally have to step into the same room as a cat and end up in hospital with a severe full body allergic reaction, just from having it look at me is saying a bloody lot.

I think withdrawing from the medication that was supposed to treat the eczema is the best thing I could ever have done for myself.

I truly do.

Day 97 of Topical Steroid Withdrawal

Didn't mean to let a week go past before updating my blog! I was going to wait until Day 100 of my steroid withdrawal which will be this Friday but I thought that might be a bit too long without a post.

I'm doing pretty well. There haven't been any ill effects from what happened last week and I've been going to work, fulfilling my contracted shifts and then some (an extra half an hour here and there) so I'm hoping and praying that my string of bad luck is letting up and I'm able to have some respite. My skin is still frankly a complete mess, I'm covered in scratches, my legs are scabbed and still suffering from the MRSA but they're a lot better than they were and I've paled quite a lot. My skin is really dry and has loads of shedding to do but that's all part and parcel of the healing process.


  My ankle keeps scabbing and I keep picking...   This only started over the past couple of nights. I've been scratching my thighs and scabbing is the result. Must file my nails again.   I have a lot of deep gouges like this. Hello saggy armpit - lol what the hell?!   My right arm is a bit of a mess. I look like I've been mauled by a cat! More of my right arm/hand. It is feeling easier to tolerate though so fingers crossed! I've had a good few days of relaxing with friends and forgetting about my problems which has been so beneficial to my state of mind. Good times are definitely what I've been needing! Don't forget Shane's raffle is drawn this weekend, which will be my Day 101 of withdrawal so if you're fairly local why not celebrate with me by purchasing a raffle ticket? Otherwise why not donate £1 or 2. It's for a good cause afterall and will cheer both of us up after our hellish few weeks. Help Shane reach half his pledged total - he's so close now!

Still Recovering (Herpeticum)

Yep, I'm still slogging away with this wretched eczema herpeticum. However there have been some changes. It is still spreading despite being tiny and I've now managed to get a patch on my back which has been otherwise clear. It is incredibly frustrating to deal with as the skin still needs to be moisturised! I've been washing my hands constantly with antibacterial soap and hand sanitiser more often than I care to in an attempt to stop the spread. It has literally been a case of wash hands, do one limb, wash hands, do another limb and so on and so forth until I am that exhausted I fall asleep! Also having to remind Shane to keep on his toes with hand washing too especially seeing as it is such a contagious virus.

I'm also seriously itchy because the skin is regenerating itself in other places but "heal peel" as I like to call it is good peel, so I can't complain about that too much. Though it is a pain because if I scratch absent mindedly I give myself a real telling off because I don't want to spread any more herpeticum!

I feel really stubborn today and want to go to my festival despite all the goings on. I will need to get a prescription for more 800mg tablets of Aciclovir as it just isn't shifting as quick as usual. I suppose with it having been all over me, my body can only do so much healing at a time and I guess legs are hardest because they're further away from the heart or some such thing? Patience dearest, have patience!

  Looking much better.   The crusty ooze I've been plagued with on both ears is now coming off as layers upon layers of shed. Mmm shed. I appear to have been very naughty though :(   More naughtiness on my chest but it looks better than before where it was covered in millions of little sores. The skin has an almost thickened look to it which makes sense because it's been crazy shedding and has a lot more to go!    I thought the red/white was amusing. Not sure if palpules are teeny miniscule herpeticum or reverting back to steroid withdrawal.   Sorry for the bad quality. It was harder than I thought it would be to get a photo of the bit starting on my back.   The herpeticum on my right ankle is giving me so much grief! It keeps weeping and spreading :( It is all over my legs but this is the worst bit. More teeny tiny vesicles on my other ankle. They are the size of  pin pricks but still raging away.

Oh well. I now need to start thinking about writing lists upon lists of stuff I need to pack, clothes I can wear, food to bring, ways to keep my health in good check etc, etc. to survive the festival. Wish me luck!