7 month pictures and a new approach.

I am still two days shy of the completion of 7 months of TSW, but since I had a bit of energy today, I thought I would take pictures.  I have not been happy with my flaring - who would be?  But seriously, I have had enough!  I told my hubby I wanted to check myself into a hospital and ask them to induce a coma until I am finished with TSW.  Of course that is not likely to happen nor do I really want that, but I really really really want this to end!  For the last month or 2 I have really stopped with trying anything new.  I was really hoping the emu oil would have been the ticket for me, but it has completely stopped working.  So that set me into thinking mode (which can be dangerous!).  Here are my thoughts and theories:

First I am starting to agree with the doctor in Japan who thinks not putting anything on the skin would help the skin to produce its own oil sooner.  I have stopped putting stuff on my skin except for the occasional vaseline on the creases for less painful movement.  I also am putting bacitracin on 3-4 times a day on the more red and infected looking areas.  Other than that, I am done with the healing balms and oils.

Second I am beginning to wonder if the anti-inflammatory properties of the emu oil and healing balms was more harm than good.  What we know is the skin has lost its natural ability to vasoconstrict the capillaries near the skin, hence all the redness and oozing (also from damage to the vessels).  The vessels have to re-learn how to constrict and dilate naturally, so if we are creating a false vasoconstriction by applying anti-inflammatories, then aren't we prolonging the body's natural healing process?  Of course I have no answer to this and it is only a theory, but it leads me back to the premise of natural healing.  Our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves.  I know healing balms are good for certain things, but our skin is not inflamed or red from infection.  I fall back on my thinking that by providing the body the nutrients and fuel it needs to heal, then we will heal.  By inhibiting the body from healing (lack of nutrients and other things like anti-inflammatories) then we prolong the healing process.  So maybe I just let nature take its course right now and just provide support.  When I stopped the emu oil on my hands, I had a rebound redness and swelling so it shows to me that it was not doing what I thought it was doing because I had my thinking wrong.
Anyway, here are the pictures:  Again my camera whited out a lot of the redness.  Basically I am red all over except my feet - I have a few patches on my feet, but you can see where the redness ends near my ankles.  Guessing the redness will be upon my feet soon enough.

I can't believe how horrible my legs look - so red and purple with varicose veins that were not there prior to TSW.  Swelling down on my arms and behind knees, but in full force on my lower legs and ankles and face.  Hoping for some relief soon.  But not holding my breath!