Progress is Slow But Sure

I have had a mega-busy week and spent most of it outdoors at the mercy of the elements, but my skin has not really given me too much trouble.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not announcing that I am healed yet, but things are at a stage where they are not really encroaching on my life. The odd dab of moisturiser throughout the day is enough to keep any trouble at bay. My body skin is almost normal apart from some tiny patches on my calves and back of my knees. My neck is still the worst area, but I keep moisturising and it doesn't stiffen up too much.

My face is OK. It just looks like mild sunburn. If I could stop scratching in the night, all the tiny superficial scratches and gouges in my cheeks would soon go away. The area round my mouth still gets dry and flaky, which I still think is due to the inhaler. Think about it: I puff on my puffer and then breathe out a fine mist of steroid-breath when I exhale. Some of that steroid must affect the skin directly around my mouth.

The good news is that I have stepped down again on the inhaler. I am now taking just one puff in three, which means that some days I don't use the inhaler at all. My body didn't like it at first and responded with a slight tightness and some extra mucus, but I took my blue reliever rather than falling back to the steroid. After a couple of days, my body is now used to the lower dose. I will give it a few weeks and then consider either dropping down further or stopping completely. It does finally feel within my grasp.

Unfortunately my whole family have come down with flu. If I get it, it will cobble up my poor old lungs. I'm hoping that the cocktail of flu vaccinations they have pumped into me over the last few years will keep the nasties at bay.