Pictures of recent neck flare and healing ankles.

I finally got around to getting some pictures downloaded.  Life is just so full now that I find the things I once obsessed over (like taking pictures of my skin) no longer matter to me as there are so many things to enjoy!  :)  Those still out there suffering...you will get there one day - you will come to a point where you just no longer think about your skin all the time.  There are days I can go without giving it more than a split second thought.  I still have mini flares here and there.  Some last a few hours - and others have lasted a few days (like my recent neck flare).  But if you compare them to pictures from my horrid 8 month long beginning flare, you will see why I call them mini-flares.  There is just no comparison.  Now I itch for a short time, followed by a few days of scabs and flaking, then healing.  Currently my middle finger is flaring (started this morning).  I no longer stress over this as I know within a day or two it will scab over and then heal.  Some scabs though in some areas have just taken forever - there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it except the more distal the scab, the longer it seems to heal.  My ankle and wrist scabs take forever!  I had a forearm/wrist flare over a month ago and my wrist is still full of scabs - but no redness, itching, or swelling. Ooze is something of the distant past - haven't oozed in so many months I have lost count.  The mini flares I have now remind me of my old eczema in many ways.

As you can see from the pictures below, my ankles have cleared dramatically.  In fact I have been refusing to shave because I want to go get my legs waxed - but was just waiting for the final stages of healing.  I have one more sore left on my R ankle - it is so small and never bothers me, I may just go get waxed and deal with any pain that may surface in that one area.

As for things like my supplements - just got in my new glutathione - the one that has the glutathione attached to an acetyl group - the pills are so much smaller.  I want to say great things about it, but it might be coincidence (we all know though how I feel about coincidences).  Let's just say today I went from about 40-50% energy level to about 70-80%.  I have not stopped going since this afternoon about 2 hours after taking it.  I had a HUGE mess of school books from the kids I needed to organize and put in storage from the school year - it looked like a 2-3 day project.  But done in 2 hours!  I am now onto other projects and then moving onto dinner.  So I have a very good feeling this is the right one for me.  I am down to taking my active B's only 2-3 times a week still.  I am planning to get a energy reading done to tell what other body systems may need help - it's called total body analysis.  I've done it in the past and it has completely surprised me how accurate it is.  I actually plan to study it myself along with herbology.  But the results will not be in for at least 2 weeks.  I will keep you all posted.

Now for the pictures:

This is during the worst of my recent neck flare.  None of it hurt - just itched for a few days.  My skin color is very splotchy from tanning - all my years of scars stay white.  

My scabby L wrist - the flare was over a month ago but like my ankles, the scabs are healing VERY SLOWLY!  But around the scabs ny skin is very smooth.  And of course no redness.  

Right hand looking fantastic!  Just 2 spots that are irritated.  Funny how the scabs on the wrist and forearm are taking forever but any hand scabs I get seem to heal quickly - this picture was from about a week ago and those 2 spots are completely gone today.  

Hairy Left leg/ankle - the one spot there healing is all pink/tan now.  Just about all gone.

The one spot here is about half that size today - the marks on the back of my ankle were from wearing new shoes and developing a few blisters.

The rest of my body looks like this - clear and smooth!  Minus my middle left finger and the left side of my face that flared for a few hours yesterday but now healing.  

I decided that even if I have to have these mini flares on and off for the next 5 or even 10 years I wouldn't care.  They hardly bother me - they are like having a mosquito bite - you know it's there, it itches here and there, but for the most part you forget about it unless you happen to glance at the part of the body you were bit.  I sometimes get annoyed especially when I sweat and the itching intensifies in the few areas I am irritated, but those are few and far between.  

16 months!

Tomorrow will mark my 16 month anniversary off of topical steroids.  I cannot believe that much time has passed!  I only have a minute here - hopefully I can catch up this blog over the next few weeks.  

Where have I been?  A few will be secretly hoping I had a major flare and am too embarrassed to come here and blog.  Sorry to disappoint, but that is not the case.  I wish I could say all is good.  Mostly good, but we have had a sad time in our family the last few weeks and have spent many days traveling out of town as a dear and close family member has passed.  I also went back to work full time about 3 weeks ago so I literally have had no time to return emails, get on forums, or write on my blog. I've popped on Facebook here and there but that is all.  A lot of things here at home have been neglected so now we are in the process of cleaning up around here after the last few weeks of things being thrown here and there.  

My skin??  Haven't had time to think about it - but for the most part considering the stress, it's not too bad.  I've had many mini-flares pop up almost daily.  It switches from my face to my neck to my low back to my inner arms.  I barely heal in one spot before another mini-flare comes on.  It doesn't stop me obviously from doing anything.  But a few days I've had to wear turtlenecks to work despite the heat because my neck was having a mini-flare.  I haven't gone for my IV glutathione in over a week due to everything going on, but still healing in certain areas.  My ankles look fabulous and am only dealing with one small sore on each ankle.  My hands are surviving working - no flares there - just some dry areas that I put waterproof tape on during work so they don't crack open.  So far so good.  My legs remain clear as does most of my torso except the neck and the left lower back that re-flared a few days ago.  

I have pictures on my camera I meant to post a few weeks ago - just not going to get to it just yet.  Need to do a massive grocery shopping and one of the girls has been having a massive growth spurt and has very few summer clothes that fit - so need to get her some clothes.  Working tomorrow and I think Tuesday and Wed.  Also need to get some things for the garden.  It's nice to be working again and having the money to buy the things we need.  Hope everyone is doing well.  I will do my best to get back to the emails and messages.  But please give me a bit more time so I can get life back to normal around here.