I am devoting my day to updating my blog and making some phone calls. I just wanted to pop in quickly to say I am doing very good! My hands are healing nicely as are my ankles. I suspect I am not going to be completely clear before another mini-flare comes on especially with my hands, but such is this TSW journey! I worked over the weekend and my hands did not get any worse. So that is good news! I work again next weekend so hopefully they heal some more before then. I have been tanning them daily at home with my small facial tanner. It is no where near as strong as the tanning booth I go to 2-3 times per week, but I think it has definitely helped heal some of the sores I have.
My forearms and chin are still irritated but there is no swelling or ooze - just dry skin in the process of healing. The area around my belly button that had some irritation on it is now almost completely clear as is my lower left back. The rest of my back is smooth and clear. My ankles have those sores on them still, but they are shrinking a little bit each day. I actually got up yesterday morning, got ready for work, and never once looked at my ankles or "inspected" them. I might have glanced at them while putting socks on or drying myself after my shower, but it never occurred to me to see how they were doing. I looked at them when I got home from work because they started to itch ever so slightly. I cannot wait to go a whole day without thinking about my skin! Of course I wake every morning to see how my hands are doing as they are still the worst area, but with all the recent healing going on, I am hoping they clear soon! It would be so nice to not worry about them anymore!
My energy level is still good! Not great or at a point where I can say it is normal, but I no longer take naps and I can force myself to do the things I need to get done whereas before there were days I couldn't even force myself to do what was necessary. I still sleep in on my days off sometimes until 11 or 11:30 am. Of course I do not go to bed until 1 or 2 am because I wait up for hubby to get home from work. But overall I am happy with my increasing level of energy during the last 4-5 months. I'm still not ready to start a daily exercise regimen but I still take a walk or use my elliptical about 2-3 times per week.
So that's it folks - doing very well and hoping to see more progress in the next month or two!
So great to hear that you are making good progress. I too am healing up really well.
ReplyDeleteBring on the summer where we can get some rays to our skin and kick this thing into touch once and for all!
I am so grateful to you Tracy for all the research you have done and for your blog, so that others can share it. Thank you.
hi!! just wana check with you you mentioned your back is clear. you didnt get any pigmentation/scarring from the rashes? cos my whole body is filled with brown patches and bumps nw :(
ReplyDeleteThank you Amanda! So nice to hear you are doing well!!!
ReplyDeleteStop Steroid: I have light pigment changes. Instead of darker color patches, I have light colored patches where my recent irritated skin was. This is from me tanning. The recent irritated skin is not tanning well so it looks almost white. I don't think they will be permanent or scarred as there are areas on my chest and legs that were really bad in the earlier months but have been clear for awhile and do not have any white patches. The white patches are only on recently irritated or currently irritated areas. I know most people who have been through this longer do not have any or very little scarring.