Topical Steroid Withdrawal

So I haven't applied any steroid creams since Saturday 18th when I was in a bad way with the hot water not coming on when I was in my state of desperation. Eventually after I'd had my bath I liberally applied Hydrocortisone ointment as if my life depended on it. It hasn't  been an intentional thing as such to cease usage, but there is the niggling in the back of my mind that they are likely to be the source of all evil. 

However, since this time my skin hasn't really improved at all. Like I mentioned in my post prior to the Bake Sale, my skin has been going through all sorts, never following the usual pattern of red, weep then flake. Instead it has been doing all these things either at the same time or in whatever random order it feels like doing it. As you can imagine, this has resulted in me whinging and feeling like crap and the need to nap and generally relax. 

I also think I have a viral infection on my torso. Whether it is from the antibiotics I took, I have no idea but it's getting on my nerves as every part of me seems to have something wrong with the skin. My arms and back are dry and flaking, with deep gouges and scratches from attacking myself in my sleep; my face and ears are a mixture of weeping, red, dry and flaking skin, and in fact felt as though I had been stabbed in the face hundreds of times when I woke up yesterday morning... The backs of my knees are also awful but I'm putting it down to being overheated, and my thighs are also pretty bad right now. 

excuse my flabby tummy. I appear to have put on a bit of podge ;)

Backs of legs

Front of thighs

I'm fed up of the sight of my skin flakes every where and the constant hoovering. It just brings it all back to the old days. I feel bad for Shane that I'm having to depend so heavily on him just so that I can function and get through the day. I can see how much stress I add to his life and I just wish he didn't have to carry out this additional burden, given how much else he has to attain to. 

I'm seeing my derm on Friday so hopefully he decided to do some background reading... I am thinking about possibly giving Ciclosporin another go whilst I go steroid-free, though I am wary of it working for me as it didn't the second time round. We'll see.

Hope everyone else is doing good?x

I'm just a little flakey

Just thought I'd show you all what I've been contending with for these past few mornings. Delicious flakes. Mmmm!


 
And a beautiful close-up...

 
"Oooh that's a keeper!" I think Gold Member from Austin Powers would be having a field day.

Documenting My Skin 14/3

So I can't be bothered to keep doing single installments of my days throughout the month so I'll let you wait until the end to show you the full montage of images displaying my skin. Though I have to put my hands up and admit there have been a couple of days where I've simply forgotten to snap an image because the camera hasn't been in reach/ been too tired and what not.

I thought I'd include a few pictures of how my skin was this morning though. It doesn't really show close-ups of the entirety of my face, which admittedly was rather grim, but it does give you an idea.





Since having showered and moisturised my face is now lovely and blotchy. Sometimes I'm not sure which stage I prefer... the incredibly dry, tight and cracked stage that peels off and weeps with huge discomfort, or the moisturised blotchy stage where the skin feels red, inflamed, itchy and just as uncomfortable/ intolerable. There's no happy medium. When my skin is bad, it's bad.

Unfortunately I'm working today and doing a food shop straight after so no doubt I'll be a bit of a mess tonight, as I inevitably am after a day of work. Those who say they're "allergic to work" say hello to me, I actually am!

Photographing Eczema Daily 01/03

So staying true to my word, I have started to take photographs of my skin, seconds after waking up on a morning and just before I hop into bed on a night time. I decided to take the photographs of just my face because even though I suffer with eczema from head to toe, a) it tends to be more prominent on my face and b) I think it would be a bit rude and too much to take full body photographs of myself, especially because a lot of people I know will read this. Not only this, but I'm unable to even wear underwear some days so yeah, a pretty impossible task really...

Beware though, I've taken photos to show just how it is, so there's no Photoshopping and I'm probably blinking or pulling some pained "I've just woken up" or whatever expression as they literally were taken seconds after getting out of bed. This camera also isn't the greatest either. I would use my fancy DSLR but I've lost the charger :(

01/03/2013 Morning Photo

01/03/2013 Night Photo

It isn't too bad in these pictures, my skin tends to pale out when I sleep. I'm guessing that's something to do with my nervous system? But you can certainly see some of the dryness on my face.

The night time photo you can see I'm starting to get a bit blotchy. I tend to be really itchy when I get in from work. I guess it's just being exposed to a level of dust there. But yeah, my hair is a mess from scratching my scalp. Naughty! You can also see some yummy skin dandruff on my black vest top too. The joys of dermatitis.

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I've been taking Mycophenolate for a week now. Can't really report any changes really. I had a bad flare on Wednesday that made me housebound and unable to dress for the majority of the day and my skin has been very dry but I'm going to put that down to the light therapy as that is one of the side effects. I'm back to being a human pin cushion which doesn't exactly fill me with joy. I'm completely used to having blood tests but I'll still forever flinch as the needle goes into my arm. Stupid reflexes.

Hope everyone is doing OK :)