Flashback: Wavy lines, Soft Focus....

So today I'm going to do a ranty post about some of the times in my life when my skin has really let me down. These, of course, were times when I was suffering from steroid addiction, but thought that it was eczema.

The Eczema Herpeticum Hell

Reading Jenny Stradling's recent blogpost on her hospital stay with EH reminded me of my brush with the disease. It was at the time that I believe, I first got addicted to steroid creams. I was using them on my face for the first time and was surprised to find an ulcer-like blister on my chin. It hurt like hell, so I went to the doctor, who told me to put hydrocortisone on it. Even I didn't think this was a good idea, but I did as he said. Within days, I had blisters all over my face. They were spreading like mad and were in my eyes. I went back to the doctor, who said it was impetigo and gave me some antibacterial cream,. It wasn't impetigo and I only found this out a few days later, when, completely crusted up and barely able to move my eyes and mouth, I was diagnosed with EH and given a ridiculously tiny tube of acyclovir cream and some tablets.

It was a horrible time and I was totally incapacitated. I can't believe that two doctors got it so wrong before I was told what I had. Since then, I get small outbreaks of EH when I am run down, but nothing like that hellish initial outbreak.

Honeymoon Hell

Not to say that my honeymoon was hell, of course. It had its good points too. But I was terribly ill with my skin.

We went to Sorrento in Italy, which was my dream destination. My skin was giving me trouble and it went from bad to worse. The climate didn't seem to suit me. My skin was itchy and oozy. There was dry skin everywhere. As the holiday went on, I got worse. A trip to Rome had to be cancelled. I was devastated. I had to have my meals in my hotel room. We racked up a massive bill for room service!

A doctor was called. She prescribed steroid cream and a course of oral steroids, which was the one and only time in my life that I have ever taken them. My legs swelled up as a result of the orals and I kept vomiting, which left me severely dehydrated. We tried a daytrip to Capri, but I kept passing out and needed rehydration therapy. Luckily, there was a doctor on the coach who was very kind to us.

It's funny, but I still have fond memories of the holiday, despite how ill I was. I would love to go back again and do it properly now my skin is better. My hubby still owes me a trip to Rome!

Pregnancy Woes

When I was pregnant with my first baby, my skin went mad because I stopped using the steroid cream. I was unwittingly going through TSW without knowing it.

I remember sitting in the hospital crying my eyes out. I was making such a scene that they took me into another room, daubed me with steroid ointment and wet wrapped me. I was so grateful...

Throughout the pregnancy I must have used a tube of Eumovate a week.

A Happy Story To Finish

Those days are behind me! No more skin woes. Just good skin days.

TSW has provided me with some of the darkest times of my life, but it doesn't pay to look back with regret. Keep looking forward with hope and make new memories to replace the sad ones.

Hehe! My skin is getting whiter by the day!