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!

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself...

An update on my herpeticum - The good news is the vesicles are teeny tiny now, around 1mm in size and I think if I were to show someone new they wouldn't diagnose it as herpeticum... however it is still spreading.

This is a first time thing for me as I've never experienced it all over my body! It's on my face, neck, chest, ears, hairline, torso, arms, legs and even up my nose! I don't know how scared I should be and if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can treat it. I've been to the hospital and been given 800mg of Aciclovir to take 5x a day. I've also got some l-lysine capsules of 1000mg with a suggestion of once a day, as well as an antibiotic (but started taking this before outbreak for different reason) and antihistamines.

I've tried using tubegrips to stop me scratching the areas but then read that in the first few days of the outbreak, not to bind the area so tightly... I guess it is so they can dry up? I just don't what is best now. 

I was using Dermol as it is an antibacterial to moisturise but found it too drying so have switched to using my faithful white soft paraffin. I've been taking the Aciclovir since Friday afternoon and although it looks better, it is still definitely spreading so I'm in a bit of a predicament.

I am going to go to the hospital today for an opinion but being the weekend the dermatology department won't be open. I really don't want to have IV as I now have a fear of it from last time when my veins packed in and it was SO PAINFUL! I'm also worried of picking up more infection than going in with because of how wide spread the herpeticum is... and also how will I clean myself properly?


The buggers are really hard to get a good photograph of because they're so teeny weeny.

 

Oh it doesn't look so bad?

 

...until you see a close-up... and see them lurking.

The only part of my body that really gives it away is my legs where you can see the classic vesicles. Both legs are the same.

Poor ankle.



This is one of the parts I'm worried about. This is a close-up of my chest. Over night I must have gone to town on my chest without knowing and it is completely covered in the stuff. Gutting.

Also I'm even more gutted that today was booked off from work as holiday so that I could go to York to watch Shane do a race and catch up with some chums. Some holiday this has turned out to be. *grumble*



Eczema Herpeticum - be gone!!!

Eczema Herpeticum No.8

Yup. As the title suggests in only 15 months I've contracted eczema herpeticum 8 times.

8 times!!!

I think it's time to do some digging around into natural ways of boosting my immune system seeing as though I am essentially crippled and broken. I don't want this to open an invitation to be plagued with people telling me to use this, that and the other high cost remedy... but I do openly admit that I need some help.

Once again I've rang in sick at work and toddled off to hospital to get seen by my derm. She's given me 800mg of Aciclovir to be taken 5 times a day in the hopes we can kick this in the face (my words, not hers). The thing that terrifies me is that I've already been taking Aciclovir, albeit at a much lower dose, but nevertheless it is already in my system. Just how much longer until I become completely immune? It's frightening to think about.

She's told me to avoid sun light at all costs, which I have been trying to do. I've only been outside in the sun driving around in my car or the train journey I endured last weekend and other than that have been trying to cover myself up walking quickly to places when I've got out of my car so I'm only in direct sunlight for a matter of minutes... I might have to don a burqa at this rate!

This seriously puts my festival next week into question... can I even go?! Yet on the other hand, yes I'll end up suffering by going with this but I'll end up suffering through going anyway so why miss out on an opportunity to do something that makes me happy? I sure as hell need it after the hell I've been through. 

Life lesson: don't allow yourself to get ill kids!

Hello, worlds most flattering photograph!


...& it's all over my body. Brilliant.

Eczema Herpeticum Round 7

Well scrap that - me saying I'm on the mend...! I've just come back from A&E with my 7th bout of bloody eczema herpeticum!

Last night at work I had incredibly itchy eyes and just thought I was reacting to something. This morning I wake up with pus gluing my eyes together. Delish! I just thought it was conjunctivitis.

Not too suspect other than a gammy eye

An hour later I look in the mirror to see there are small pimples under my eyelash line... and now it's taken over the majority of my face!

3 hours after waking

I've been to hospital and after having disinfectant put into my eye (I so wasn't ready for it) my eyes themselves are alright, my eyelids are just covered in cold sores. Well my whole face is but it can become a very dangerous game indeed when the infection gets into your eyes. The thing about EH is that because it is a combination of two nasty skin issues it can turn into a super infection and if not treated in time can cause all sorts of horrific problems, even resulting in death in some instances. Not good.

Lol at the yellow disinfectant stuff 

So yep. I've given work an advanced warning that I'm unable to attend tomorrow because I look and feel horrific. It'll be money down the drain but health comes first doesn't it? I've been given 800mg Aciclovir tablets to take 5 times a day, so that should sort me out in no time. Thinking back I think 800mg 5x a day is a little excessive to the dosages I've taken in the past... but if it does the trick, and doesn't kill me, I shan't argue.

Can I have some good luck now please?