I am now day 9 of 21 for my internal cleanse. The first week was not too bad but the last few days have proven to be more difficult skin wise. Like before I knew I would flare with this cleanse. I was at a good point skin wise going into this. Now....not that things are bad by any means but there are moments when I wonder why I did this while working full time! I have moments where my skin just itches and burns - one night I thought for sure I was going to wake up to red hot inflamed legs! They itched and burned so bad at bedtime! But the next morning other than a few scabs, they were perfectly normal. These are called healing reactions. I've also had some emotional healing reactions where I just cry or even get really upset like yesterday morning for no apparent reason. I become irrational and am not myself - this lasted for about 30 minutes then I was fine as if nothing happened. My skin continues to have these healing reactions in various areas - face, neck, arms, legs. Nothing horrible but just irritating.
The last time I did this cleanse 9 years ago, I remember my skin getting way worse, so again this is all expected and I do not associate these flares with my TSW flares. I also remember during the lung part of the cleanse coughing up junk that freaked me out given I never smoked. Well I just started the lung part yesterday and today I am coughing - nothing horrible and nothing scary coming out of me, but I am expecting some more scary junk to start coming up in a day or two given how bad my asthma as been the last few years. It amazes me how much toxic stuff our bodies build up especially when we suppress our immune systems with steroids! It's a good feeling to get this stuff out!
As for my one finger that's still giving me grief....had to be seen in the ER a few nights ago - it literally ballooned up and poured out ooze. I had a dry dressing on it all shift and it remained dry - then all of a sudden I felt it soaking wet and felt my finger throbbing. I took off the dressing only to have a purple finger! Scary I tell you! The doctor did not think it was infected - he thought I had banged it against something and burst quite a few blood vessels. I was scared for a few days but it has finally gone down in swelling and no longer oozing. I wonder if it was a freak flare given the cleanse - I can't seem to remember banging my finger on anything, but then again I do get awfully busy at work. Either way it is healing with warm salt soaks and dry dressing changes.
Life otherwise is going well. We are hoping to be moving in a month. But that is all depending on the job situation and our plans to move forward with renting in KY versus trying to get a house on the property over the next 3 months and then move right into the house. So many decisions and everything I am sure will be all last minute! :)
I am continuing to eat healthy and make lots of fermented foods even while working full time. Hubby has really been helping me a lot with this. He helps to "feed" the sourdough starter each night. The kids are super helpful with all the dishes! I have been making sourdough bread which initially came out really strong but the second batch was way better. Banana bread has been so yummy and nutritious! Made oatmeal this morning after soaking my oats all night. My kombucha scoby is finally taking shape and should be ready for making kombucha soon! :) I want to start on fermenting veggies next but that may have to wait until we move. I don't want to do more than I can keep up with. It's not good for me as I get overwhelmed and then just don't do anything. So far I am not overwhelmed and want to keep it that way! :)
No pictures this time - I don't see the point as my skin changes day to day with the cleansing and again I don't feel it is related to TSW - just the cleanse. I will post pictures in a few weeks when all this is done - which will be right around my 2 years TSW anniversary. With my last cleanse I remained in a flare for about a week after I was done then things got way better! So I am praying the same happens after this cleanse. I am praying for better healing and more energy. I will need it especially for moving!
Hope everyone is having a good skin day!
Friday, January 30, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
Pictures!
Today I got to get my pictures up on the computer. I also have started back to my other blog...the one about my life before TSW dropped in and took my life for an unpredictable spin! You can see it here: http://whateverhappenedtothesimplelife.blogspot.com/
Skin overall is healing very nicely. Right ring finger however seems to have not gotten the message that healing is supposed to be occurring! Darn thing won't let up still! Oh well....all in good time I suppose!
Skin overall is healing very nicely. Right ring finger however seems to have not gotten the message that healing is supposed to be occurring! Darn thing won't let up still! Oh well....all in good time I suppose!
Face overall remains very good. Yes I still have slight pink areas with dry areas here and there. But they do not bother me and for the most part not bad considering the constant below freezing temps we have had here this last month.
Hair line still thin, but hair is growing back ever so slowly.
Neck and chest like face do not bother me....dry scabby areas continue to slowly heal.
Left arm doing much better than last month.
Right arm much better - scabs are almost all healed.
Legs remain fantastic - a lone scab here and there and that's it
Back behind the knee has these small areas that appeared a week or so ago but are now healing up nicely.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
23 Months and Apologies!
Today I hit my 23 month TSW anniversary! It passed with nothing exciting happening! I continue to do well and even took pics this morning - just have to download to my computer. But right now I'm on my way to bed. Just wanted to pop in as I actually remembered it was an anniversary day! I tend to forget the last many months given I don't focus on my skin so much anymore. I am more active on the FB support groups to support others. I will however be devoting some more time to blogging soon - more on that next post.
Skin is doing the best it ever has I think. I have some lingering dry scabs from where I would get hives daily and scratch them open a bit. I have some on my left forearm. Nearly gone on right forearm. Some pink dryness on neck. Face is almost all clear with a few pink patches. Left leg with a few scabs as well as a few scabs behind the knees. I have a few dry patches on my fingers and the only TSW spot is my right hand ring finger....still red and swollen and excoriated. That's the only place I still get intense itching. Otherwise I have surface dry skin itch. Not sure what is up with that finger! I did once have a horrible time with my right hand index finger for over a year. It was a horrible mess back when I was around 25. This sort of mimics that. It started back in October with 2 fingers....the ring and the middle. The middle finger cleared up all on its own a month ago and has been fine since. Not sure why the ring finger hasn't followed suit. But nothing seems fair in TSW.
Fatigue is improving once again. Back to work and still getting lots done lately. Feels good. :)
As for apologies....I have a few comments from my dear readers that I have not responded to - I want you to know I have seen them and appreciate them. Will get back to them soon! I just wish there were more hours in the days! :)
Now off to sleep as I must be up at 8 for work.
Skin is doing the best it ever has I think. I have some lingering dry scabs from where I would get hives daily and scratch them open a bit. I have some on my left forearm. Nearly gone on right forearm. Some pink dryness on neck. Face is almost all clear with a few pink patches. Left leg with a few scabs as well as a few scabs behind the knees. I have a few dry patches on my fingers and the only TSW spot is my right hand ring finger....still red and swollen and excoriated. That's the only place I still get intense itching. Otherwise I have surface dry skin itch. Not sure what is up with that finger! I did once have a horrible time with my right hand index finger for over a year. It was a horrible mess back when I was around 25. This sort of mimics that. It started back in October with 2 fingers....the ring and the middle. The middle finger cleared up all on its own a month ago and has been fine since. Not sure why the ring finger hasn't followed suit. But nothing seems fair in TSW.
Fatigue is improving once again. Back to work and still getting lots done lately. Feels good. :)
As for apologies....I have a few comments from my dear readers that I have not responded to - I want you to know I have seen them and appreciate them. Will get back to them soon! I just wish there were more hours in the days! :)
Now off to sleep as I must be up at 8 for work.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
It's a New Year....And a New ME!
Hoping all of you sufferers out there and lurking blog readers have a wonderful start to the new year! Every new year brings upon reflection of the recent past and new hope for the near future. But what happens when we don't want to reflect on the recent past because it's too traumatic to think about? What happens when we don't have much hope for the future because we are in the beginning of a long sentence of suffering? All I can say is allow yourself to be angry, to be sad, to allow yourself to create a hermit-like existence....but never ever lose hope! We all have hit that critical moment when all hope seems lost. We feel like we can't take one step more....as if the complete lack of hope will drive us over into a pit of no return. But somehow, someway we come back, we find a thread, even a skinny lifeless thread....anything to hold onto in the depths of despair. That thread does not have to hold much light....but just enough to bring us off the edge.
So what has brought on such doom and gloom talk at the start of a fresh new year? Have I gone into a wild and crazy flare that is driving me insane? Nope! In fact my skin is awesome. But something made me think of those dark days. This past weekend my parents came for a 2 day visit. We live near Howe's Cave...a neat little cavern 150 feet below the surface. We took a trip there and had a grand time. During the boat trip they like to show you just what complete and total darkness is like. They turn off the lights for about 30-40 seconds....feels like 30-40 minutes as there is no way your vision is going to take in ANYTHING! Complete and total darkness! It's scary because when we turn the lights off at home we give it a few seconds and our eyes adjust to the low light that seems to come from somewhere - anywhere. But not down there in the deep dark cave. Those few seconds of my eyes trying to adjust and my brain saying "Relax, you're not going to see anything....deal with it" were like the beginning of TSW for me. I was in agony from the beginning but hoping I was going to be the one who healed in 6 months! I kept saying to myself, "Just deal with it, it WILL get better". But see, down in that cave after about 10 seconds I was no longer dealing with it....I was turning my head in all directions trying to find ANY source of light. I knew they were going to turn the lights back on eventually but I felt this was long enough...I wanted out. I am not claustrophobic by any means, and I was not starting to panic. Yet I started down that path of "What if?".
Oh yes....the dreaded, "What IF?". What if the lights don't come back on because of power failure? What if we are trapped down here for days...will we go blind? What if my skin doesn't get better and I'm left with this shredding, painful outerbeing that used to be a real person? What if it takes 5 years to heal? What if my spouse leaves me because I'm a mess? Oh those first 6 months were so full of what ifs! I cried every day praying for the agony to end! I was reassured time and time again that I would heal eventually and there was no way to ease the suffering. Time was my only healer. Around the 6th month mark or so I came to that brink of hopelessness. I wanted to die only to just end the suffering. I saw the pain reflected in my husband's and children's eyes. They did all they could for me but they couldn't stop the pain. That was the worst part for all of us....the feeling of helplessness. My family wanted to help end the pain, but they could only stand by and watch as I suffered. I tried to suffer quietly...tried to put on a smiling face....but I failed miserably. TSW wore me down to the marrow of my bones. I had nothing left to give....nothing left to smile about. My whole family was spinning down with me.
And then lo and behold after 20 seconds of pure darkness in the cave, someone's phone lit up inside their pocket. It was so faint but the eyes grabbed that bit of light like a magnet to a piece of metal! It was the briefest moment of joy....mixed with doubt and more what ifs. But then within 10 seconds the lights came back on full force! OH THE JOY! You see I found my glimmer of hope in a local naturopath. I came back from my despair with a determination that I was going to find an easier way through my suffering. I had not suffered a few good days...in fact I remember thinking I was due for 2-3 good days because of my cycle but that month those few good days decided to skip me. I remember thinking I was no longer to going to play the poor me role. I "woke up" if you will and took matters into my own hands. I started researching and theorizing about TSW. I just KNEW there was something everyone was missing. There had to be something that drew us into this suffering that others seemed to skip. How was it that most people could use steroid creams on their bodies for years never getting any worse and never having the steroid creams just stop working? Why were we so special? I figured it had to do with replication of the skin cells - some kind of damage to the RNA of the skin cells. So I found a naturopath that also had a degree in cellular biology..., the kind of guy I was looking for!
My theory was somewhat off but not by much. It had to do with genetics and poor repairing of the cells. Cool! I was on to something. Then treatment began....and the LIGHTS CAME ON! Within a few weeks I saw huge improvements - that were majorly enhanced by stopping all moisturizing at the same time. The pain stopped, the itching calmed to a manageable level, the flares were lasting days and hours, not month after month. My life had returned to an extent.
You see the genetic mutation a lot of us seem to have affects every cell in our body - not just the skin cells. I have spent 2014 trying to heal my whole body. It has paid off in many ways. I still have much healing to do - I can feel it on my tired days. But for the most part I am doing very well!
So hence this year is the year for a new me....a transformation is going to occur. I could try to explain what I mean - but what's in my head does not always translate well into the written word. This transformation is one worth reflecting on. Yet it has only just started to begin! So you will all have to wait until the end of 2015 to see what I mean! The basic aspects are for me to transform into a better mom, a better wife, a better nurse, having a better body, having a healthier family, and being someone I have dreamt up in my head but never delivered fully on. (If that even makes sense!).
Here's to a new and better year for us all! What ever you do, don't ever lose hope! Fight back! Don't follow the crowd and give in to anecdotal "evidence" that says time is your ONLY healer! Fight to find what will work for you! Fight to find an easier way! Just fight!
So what has brought on such doom and gloom talk at the start of a fresh new year? Have I gone into a wild and crazy flare that is driving me insane? Nope! In fact my skin is awesome. But something made me think of those dark days. This past weekend my parents came for a 2 day visit. We live near Howe's Cave...a neat little cavern 150 feet below the surface. We took a trip there and had a grand time. During the boat trip they like to show you just what complete and total darkness is like. They turn off the lights for about 30-40 seconds....feels like 30-40 minutes as there is no way your vision is going to take in ANYTHING! Complete and total darkness! It's scary because when we turn the lights off at home we give it a few seconds and our eyes adjust to the low light that seems to come from somewhere - anywhere. But not down there in the deep dark cave. Those few seconds of my eyes trying to adjust and my brain saying "Relax, you're not going to see anything....deal with it" were like the beginning of TSW for me. I was in agony from the beginning but hoping I was going to be the one who healed in 6 months! I kept saying to myself, "Just deal with it, it WILL get better". But see, down in that cave after about 10 seconds I was no longer dealing with it....I was turning my head in all directions trying to find ANY source of light. I knew they were going to turn the lights back on eventually but I felt this was long enough...I wanted out. I am not claustrophobic by any means, and I was not starting to panic. Yet I started down that path of "What if?".
Oh yes....the dreaded, "What IF?". What if the lights don't come back on because of power failure? What if we are trapped down here for days...will we go blind? What if my skin doesn't get better and I'm left with this shredding, painful outerbeing that used to be a real person? What if it takes 5 years to heal? What if my spouse leaves me because I'm a mess? Oh those first 6 months were so full of what ifs! I cried every day praying for the agony to end! I was reassured time and time again that I would heal eventually and there was no way to ease the suffering. Time was my only healer. Around the 6th month mark or so I came to that brink of hopelessness. I wanted to die only to just end the suffering. I saw the pain reflected in my husband's and children's eyes. They did all they could for me but they couldn't stop the pain. That was the worst part for all of us....the feeling of helplessness. My family wanted to help end the pain, but they could only stand by and watch as I suffered. I tried to suffer quietly...tried to put on a smiling face....but I failed miserably. TSW wore me down to the marrow of my bones. I had nothing left to give....nothing left to smile about. My whole family was spinning down with me.
And then lo and behold after 20 seconds of pure darkness in the cave, someone's phone lit up inside their pocket. It was so faint but the eyes grabbed that bit of light like a magnet to a piece of metal! It was the briefest moment of joy....mixed with doubt and more what ifs. But then within 10 seconds the lights came back on full force! OH THE JOY! You see I found my glimmer of hope in a local naturopath. I came back from my despair with a determination that I was going to find an easier way through my suffering. I had not suffered a few good days...in fact I remember thinking I was due for 2-3 good days because of my cycle but that month those few good days decided to skip me. I remember thinking I was no longer to going to play the poor me role. I "woke up" if you will and took matters into my own hands. I started researching and theorizing about TSW. I just KNEW there was something everyone was missing. There had to be something that drew us into this suffering that others seemed to skip. How was it that most people could use steroid creams on their bodies for years never getting any worse and never having the steroid creams just stop working? Why were we so special? I figured it had to do with replication of the skin cells - some kind of damage to the RNA of the skin cells. So I found a naturopath that also had a degree in cellular biology..., the kind of guy I was looking for!
My theory was somewhat off but not by much. It had to do with genetics and poor repairing of the cells. Cool! I was on to something. Then treatment began....and the LIGHTS CAME ON! Within a few weeks I saw huge improvements - that were majorly enhanced by stopping all moisturizing at the same time. The pain stopped, the itching calmed to a manageable level, the flares were lasting days and hours, not month after month. My life had returned to an extent.
You see the genetic mutation a lot of us seem to have affects every cell in our body - not just the skin cells. I have spent 2014 trying to heal my whole body. It has paid off in many ways. I still have much healing to do - I can feel it on my tired days. But for the most part I am doing very well!
So hence this year is the year for a new me....a transformation is going to occur. I could try to explain what I mean - but what's in my head does not always translate well into the written word. This transformation is one worth reflecting on. Yet it has only just started to begin! So you will all have to wait until the end of 2015 to see what I mean! The basic aspects are for me to transform into a better mom, a better wife, a better nurse, having a better body, having a healthier family, and being someone I have dreamt up in my head but never delivered fully on. (If that even makes sense!).
Here's to a new and better year for us all! What ever you do, don't ever lose hope! Fight back! Don't follow the crowd and give in to anecdotal "evidence" that says time is your ONLY healer! Fight to find what will work for you! Fight to find an easier way! Just fight!
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
22 Months and Pictures!
So here I am with my 22 month update and pictures I have taken over the last few days. I hit the 22 month mark on the 14th. My TSW anniversary is Valentine's Day of all days! So my 2 year mark is approaching. Not worried about it at all. I know many people who have an anniversary flare. Last year about a week or two before my 1 year mark I did experience a flare on my hands, wrists, arms , and ankles. I looked back on those posts today and I CANNOT believe how far my hands have come! Working as a nurse, I used to slather my hands in potent steroid creams to keep them from breaking open and having to deal with infections. I expect if I suffer a 2 year anniversary flare, it will more than likely affect my hands again. I think they will be the last areas to heal. But I have to say they have been doing very well. I experienced a flare on only 2 fingers about 2 months ago and they are now showing signs of healing this past week. I even worked about 24 hours a week over the last 2 months and my flare never got any worse than those 2 fingers.
As for the rest of my skin....dry and itchy probably from the cold winter weather. I still get pink on my face, neck, and arms with dry patches. I have small sores here and there that heal within a few days or a week. I get hives now and again. Sometimes I will have them for a few weeks and then they go away for a few days. I know they get better if I stay away from dairy but with the holidays I personally do not want to worry about following a strict diet. It would cause me more stress so I just try to be reasonable. In the pictures below my face and neck look like they are flaring, yet they feel great to me....very little itching and no burning sensations or even feelings of irritation. I remember taking the pictures a few days ago thinking they were going to come out great with nice clear skin, only to see all the pink and dry patches. I find it frustrating as there were times I would take pictures of my skin thinking the pictures were going to show just how awful I felt only to see semi decent pictures....sometimes pictures cannot truly grasp how bad or even how good the skin really feels. So even though my skin looks irritated, it doesn't feel irritated and that is more important to me than anything!
Recently I have gone through a few weird things. One being a feeling of flaring without any actual problems with my skin. Last week I was having cold and hot flashes for 3-4 days. I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin but my skin actually felt fine. I had to wear ice packs on my neck for over a week because I felt so over heated. Even my skin felt very warm to the touch....I froze everyone here at home because I con't stand having the heat on. I turned the thermostat down to 64 or 65 degrees those days and still felt hot.
As for my supplements....I have been on and off of them the last few months. I take them only when I experience flaring. The MSM powder really helps calm any inflammation. And when I'm not taking all my supplements, I am taking basic things I would even if not going through TSW, like my probiotics, and my fermented cod liver oil for Vitamin A, D during the winter. I also take my active B's supplement about twice a week. But that's all. I've been so busy this month that I just don't take the time - I probably should stick to most of the supplements even when not flaring, but I don't.
After the holidays my focus will be our diet and doing those last 2 cleanses. I was going to the do the gallbladder cleanse a few weeks ago but didn't because I was experiencing gallbladder pain - I wanted to spend more time softening any possible stones with a few weeks of apple juice. I personally do not want to do a gallbladder cleanse only to move a big stone into one of the ducts and get a blockage. No thanks! I will play it safe and focus on this later. I truly just want to enjoy the holidays!
As for any flares I do experience - they are typically localized to a small area like my chin or one forearm. They last no longer than a day or two with a few exceptions of some lasting 3-4 days. I no longer experience any burning of the skin - all flares now are just on the surface. I truly believe most of my nerves are now healed. Every so often an area will hurt when I move - I figure it's dry skin pulling. I no longer get deep sores - everything seems to be just a few layers deep. I haven't shed a lot of skin at once in many months now. I change my sheets weekly like normal and no longer brush off dead skin. It's just not flaky anymore. I no longer lose a lot of hair at once like I did on and off during TSW. My hair is growing in where I did lose it and feels nice and strong. My nails were badly affected during my first cleanse almost 2 months ago. Half my nails are bumpy and weak. But I've recently started drinking more bone broth and taking a collagen supplement powder so hopefully in a few months my nails will be strong and healthy.
As for the rest of my life....working part time is going very well. Our house is in order. I exercise 3-4 times a week. Kids are doing very well with their schooling. Have great plans for Christmas. And my energy levels are on average very good. I do experience fatigue now and then, but for the most part it doesn't stop me from getting things done. I have been tracking my blood pressure and pulse since starting TSW. The absorption of the steroids over years affect the adrenals in that they falsely lower blood pressure and heart rate. I had concerns that once stopping the steroids I would experience high blood pressure. My blood pressure did get high for me for the first 18 months or so...120- 130/70- 80. My heart rate was elevated in the 80's and 90's at rest. But the last few months of exercising and what not I have noticed a steady decline in blood pressure and heart rate (I get it checked every 2 weeks or so at the grocery store). Well yesterday my BP was 104/66 and my heart rate was 71. I did not sit down for 5 minutes first like they recommend. I was flying around the store and just sat down and hit start. So I am very happy with this as it shows I am responding very well to the exercise! And considering I am over 40 and on no prescription meds nor taking anything to lower my blood pressure, I'd say that's pretty darn good!
One last thing: Just want to say thank you all for reading and supporting me! I was not sure blogging about my journey was the right thing to do, but even this far into TSW, I am still receiving comments and personal emails that make me realize all this blogging is worth it! Just recently I received this comment and it brought tears to my eyes: "Thank you so much for your blog. I recently heard about topical steroid withdrawal. I have not had any steroid medication in about 6 months but still suffering. Your pictures were like looking in the mirror...you give me hope! ..thank you!"
As for the rest of my skin....dry and itchy probably from the cold winter weather. I still get pink on my face, neck, and arms with dry patches. I have small sores here and there that heal within a few days or a week. I get hives now and again. Sometimes I will have them for a few weeks and then they go away for a few days. I know they get better if I stay away from dairy but with the holidays I personally do not want to worry about following a strict diet. It would cause me more stress so I just try to be reasonable. In the pictures below my face and neck look like they are flaring, yet they feel great to me....very little itching and no burning sensations or even feelings of irritation. I remember taking the pictures a few days ago thinking they were going to come out great with nice clear skin, only to see all the pink and dry patches. I find it frustrating as there were times I would take pictures of my skin thinking the pictures were going to show just how awful I felt only to see semi decent pictures....sometimes pictures cannot truly grasp how bad or even how good the skin really feels. So even though my skin looks irritated, it doesn't feel irritated and that is more important to me than anything!
Recently I have gone through a few weird things. One being a feeling of flaring without any actual problems with my skin. Last week I was having cold and hot flashes for 3-4 days. I felt like I wanted to jump out of my skin but my skin actually felt fine. I had to wear ice packs on my neck for over a week because I felt so over heated. Even my skin felt very warm to the touch....I froze everyone here at home because I con't stand having the heat on. I turned the thermostat down to 64 or 65 degrees those days and still felt hot.
As for my supplements....I have been on and off of them the last few months. I take them only when I experience flaring. The MSM powder really helps calm any inflammation. And when I'm not taking all my supplements, I am taking basic things I would even if not going through TSW, like my probiotics, and my fermented cod liver oil for Vitamin A, D during the winter. I also take my active B's supplement about twice a week. But that's all. I've been so busy this month that I just don't take the time - I probably should stick to most of the supplements even when not flaring, but I don't.
After the holidays my focus will be our diet and doing those last 2 cleanses. I was going to the do the gallbladder cleanse a few weeks ago but didn't because I was experiencing gallbladder pain - I wanted to spend more time softening any possible stones with a few weeks of apple juice. I personally do not want to do a gallbladder cleanse only to move a big stone into one of the ducts and get a blockage. No thanks! I will play it safe and focus on this later. I truly just want to enjoy the holidays!
As for any flares I do experience - they are typically localized to a small area like my chin or one forearm. They last no longer than a day or two with a few exceptions of some lasting 3-4 days. I no longer experience any burning of the skin - all flares now are just on the surface. I truly believe most of my nerves are now healed. Every so often an area will hurt when I move - I figure it's dry skin pulling. I no longer get deep sores - everything seems to be just a few layers deep. I haven't shed a lot of skin at once in many months now. I change my sheets weekly like normal and no longer brush off dead skin. It's just not flaky anymore. I no longer lose a lot of hair at once like I did on and off during TSW. My hair is growing in where I did lose it and feels nice and strong. My nails were badly affected during my first cleanse almost 2 months ago. Half my nails are bumpy and weak. But I've recently started drinking more bone broth and taking a collagen supplement powder so hopefully in a few months my nails will be strong and healthy.
As for the rest of my life....working part time is going very well. Our house is in order. I exercise 3-4 times a week. Kids are doing very well with their schooling. Have great plans for Christmas. And my energy levels are on average very good. I do experience fatigue now and then, but for the most part it doesn't stop me from getting things done. I have been tracking my blood pressure and pulse since starting TSW. The absorption of the steroids over years affect the adrenals in that they falsely lower blood pressure and heart rate. I had concerns that once stopping the steroids I would experience high blood pressure. My blood pressure did get high for me for the first 18 months or so...120- 130/70- 80. My heart rate was elevated in the 80's and 90's at rest. But the last few months of exercising and what not I have noticed a steady decline in blood pressure and heart rate (I get it checked every 2 weeks or so at the grocery store). Well yesterday my BP was 104/66 and my heart rate was 71. I did not sit down for 5 minutes first like they recommend. I was flying around the store and just sat down and hit start. So I am very happy with this as it shows I am responding very well to the exercise! And considering I am over 40 and on no prescription meds nor taking anything to lower my blood pressure, I'd say that's pretty darn good!
One last thing: Just want to say thank you all for reading and supporting me! I was not sure blogging about my journey was the right thing to do, but even this far into TSW, I am still receiving comments and personal emails that make me realize all this blogging is worth it! Just recently I received this comment and it brought tears to my eyes: "Thank you so much for your blog. I recently heard about topical steroid withdrawal. I have not had any steroid medication in about 6 months but still suffering. Your pictures were like looking in the mirror...you give me hope! ..thank you!"
My face and neck in a state of pinkness and irritation but feels fine.
Left arm pretty decent - but like my face and neck still pink here and there. But feels really good.
Right arm same as left - looks worse than it really is.
Legs still doing very well. Don't mind the hair - haven't had time to shave or get waxed!
Close up of foot and ankle....nothing going on here!
Left hand doing well...just a few small sores/spots but they don't bother me at all. Just noticed now I have slight elephant skin on my forearm/wrist area.
Right hand is where I have those 2 affected fingers. But they are looking and feeling better each day!
Merry Christmas!!!!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Bad Blogger!
So I declare I get the bad blogger of the last 6 months award! It's actually a very positive thing - I simply just have been doing so much that I have not had the time to sit down at the computer, download pictures and write. And I'm only working part-time! I misplaced that camera again and I've been going going going since my last post! I have been feeling a bit tired the last few days - the most tired I've felt since I did the cleanse a month ago. I will be doing my gallbladder flush this Thursday and not starting my internal cleanse until after the new year. I simply just have a lot to do! My house is finally in order (except for a few things that I will tackle next year but they are minor organizational things). I am starting to exercise again and I am nearly ready for Christmas. We spent this past weekend making a Thanksgiving dinner (BEST EVER) and putting up the tree. It was a very wonderful weekend and not marred by TSW in the least bit! My skin is still great - with a few small spots here and there along with those pesky daily hives. I just don't think about it too much - except for having to bandage 2 fingers for work and having the occasional itch attack with the hives, my skin is not really an issue anymore in my life. My focus lately has been my overall health and energy levels and of course getting my life in order after neglecting everything for over a year. I still feel like I am dealing with internal issues like with my liver, gallbladder, and adrenals. I will be getting my liver enzymes checked again in a few months once I'm done with all cleanses. I am still having a problem losing the extra weight so I'll also ask to have my thyroid checked as well.
But anyway, just wanted to stop and check in to let you all know I am still alive and very well! I pray you all find relief and peace soon within your own TSW journey!
But anyway, just wanted to stop and check in to let you all know I am still alive and very well! I pray you all find relief and peace soon within your own TSW journey!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Almost 21 months and no big move...yet
Next week I will be 21 months into TSW. WOW, has the time flown! I am both amazed and saddened by this. Happy that the worst is behind me and the time went by rather quickly, but saddened because I feel like I missed a whole 2 years with my kids. Granted this past year has been so much better than the first 8 months without doubt. But the 2 big hand flares kept me from taking them places that I normally would because I had such limited use of my hands for about 6 months out of the year. The other 6 months I was working full time to make up for lost wages and catch up on the bills. But now I feel like I can get back on that Mom wagon....taking the kids places, taking lots of pictures, and making awesome memories!
As for the move - not happening for so many reasons. But the biggest reason is we could not find a decent place to rent that would accept German Shepherds. The places that did had some weird landlords. So we are back to square one....our original plan which is to save enough money to buy a manufactured home and to save for putting it on our land. We have a lot of things that need to be done in order to get a house on the land....like cutting down trees and making a semi-decent road/driveway. All of this costs lots of money. So back to working! So far I have been back to work for a month part-time....about 24 hours a week. I will pick that up to 36 hours a week after the holidays.
And the reason for only working here and there is not because I don't want to work the holidays...but for the big cleansing program I am doing that I talked about before. I am on day 3/5 of an herbal colon cleanse with a liquid fast. This will be followed by a 24 day internal cleansing with a strict diet. The 24 day cleanse uses multiple different herbs that target specific organs of the body in a specific order. This is the one I cannot wait to do! I did it once years ago and while I had mixed results, the good results were truly remarkable. The one thing I clearly remember is coughing up loads of thick green plaque from my lungs....this stuff looked like it was caked to the insides of my bronchial tubes for years and years. Never smoked and never lived in a smoker's home. Had asthma as a teenager. So I can't wait to see what happens this time. Especially since the last time I did not do the colon cleanse first nor did I change my diet.
Currently my skin is a mess! The last 3 days of the liquids only fast cleanse has seen me flare like nothing I've seen this past year. I am not as bad as those first 8 months of hell, but I'm somewhere in between. I am still sleeping and functioning here and there. My skin keeps flaring at different times with no rhyme or reason. My face and neck keep flaring about 3 times a day with intense itching episodes. It even woke me up at 4:30 this morning....raking the skin off my neck! The insides of my arms from my elbow to my wrist have flared about once a day, and I get a bunch of tiny itchy bumps on various areas of my legs every evening. All very weird but nothing I'm concerned about. Is it uncomfortable?? Oh yeah! My skin is just sensitive and excoriated. I haven't oozed which is great and have not had any pain except some here and there on my neck (always was my worst area). Just tons of itching and open skin. I did finally find my camera last week so I will try to take some pics in the next few days. I have just been more exhausted today than the other 2 days. I had about 2 hours this morning where I was out of it and felt very toxic. That passed and I feel much better. However if I do get up to do anything I do get tired very easily. Trying to take it easy as I need to give my body the rest it needs to heal during this cleanse.
I am really hoping these cleanses put me into a positive spiral towards excellent health. I really like the way I felt on the ketogenic diet, but I feel it is only good for short term purposes. We will be doing the Maker's Diet starting next week and then I will stick to the Weston A Price dietary guidelines. I have the Nourishing Traditions cookbook which I LOVE! I have been teaching my children to cook and bake over the last year and have really sped up their training in the kitchen recently. If I plan to work full time again in January I really need their help in getting food prepared and cooked on a regular basis.
That's it for now...I will return in a few days with pictures and an update on how this cleanse went.
As for the move - not happening for so many reasons. But the biggest reason is we could not find a decent place to rent that would accept German Shepherds. The places that did had some weird landlords. So we are back to square one....our original plan which is to save enough money to buy a manufactured home and to save for putting it on our land. We have a lot of things that need to be done in order to get a house on the land....like cutting down trees and making a semi-decent road/driveway. All of this costs lots of money. So back to working! So far I have been back to work for a month part-time....about 24 hours a week. I will pick that up to 36 hours a week after the holidays.
And the reason for only working here and there is not because I don't want to work the holidays...but for the big cleansing program I am doing that I talked about before. I am on day 3/5 of an herbal colon cleanse with a liquid fast. This will be followed by a 24 day internal cleansing with a strict diet. The 24 day cleanse uses multiple different herbs that target specific organs of the body in a specific order. This is the one I cannot wait to do! I did it once years ago and while I had mixed results, the good results were truly remarkable. The one thing I clearly remember is coughing up loads of thick green plaque from my lungs....this stuff looked like it was caked to the insides of my bronchial tubes for years and years. Never smoked and never lived in a smoker's home. Had asthma as a teenager. So I can't wait to see what happens this time. Especially since the last time I did not do the colon cleanse first nor did I change my diet.
Currently my skin is a mess! The last 3 days of the liquids only fast cleanse has seen me flare like nothing I've seen this past year. I am not as bad as those first 8 months of hell, but I'm somewhere in between. I am still sleeping and functioning here and there. My skin keeps flaring at different times with no rhyme or reason. My face and neck keep flaring about 3 times a day with intense itching episodes. It even woke me up at 4:30 this morning....raking the skin off my neck! The insides of my arms from my elbow to my wrist have flared about once a day, and I get a bunch of tiny itchy bumps on various areas of my legs every evening. All very weird but nothing I'm concerned about. Is it uncomfortable?? Oh yeah! My skin is just sensitive and excoriated. I haven't oozed which is great and have not had any pain except some here and there on my neck (always was my worst area). Just tons of itching and open skin. I did finally find my camera last week so I will try to take some pics in the next few days. I have just been more exhausted today than the other 2 days. I had about 2 hours this morning where I was out of it and felt very toxic. That passed and I feel much better. However if I do get up to do anything I do get tired very easily. Trying to take it easy as I need to give my body the rest it needs to heal during this cleanse.
I am really hoping these cleanses put me into a positive spiral towards excellent health. I really like the way I felt on the ketogenic diet, but I feel it is only good for short term purposes. We will be doing the Maker's Diet starting next week and then I will stick to the Weston A Price dietary guidelines. I have the Nourishing Traditions cookbook which I LOVE! I have been teaching my children to cook and bake over the last year and have really sped up their training in the kitchen recently. If I plan to work full time again in January I really need their help in getting food prepared and cooked on a regular basis.
That's it for now...I will return in a few days with pictures and an update on how this cleanse went.
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