Day 92 (photos)

Wow, I'm on day 92. I really should consider having some kind of party when I get to 100 days!

I am still improving and haven't had a flare in over a week. Last week I spent every day out and about doing activities with the kids and socialising with friends. Yesterday I spent the best part of the day sitting in a hot auditorium, with no adverse effects on my skin, something I could not have contemplated doing a few weeks ago.

I also managed to put on some makeup for the first time since withdrawal started. OK, it was only a slick of mascara and some lip balm, but it felt great and my skin did not react.

I didn't have time to post any photos last week, but the kids are back at school today, so here goes....

Here we have the old familiar "mug shot" which I have been used to posting. There are massive improvements on this photos if you compare it to the "bad flare" picture a couple of weeks ago. My neck area is pink, but not dry or flaky and the oozing has finally stopped. Last night was the first night where I didn't have to sleep with tissue stuffed down my bra.

A few weeks ago I couldn't move my neck and the skin was stretched tight, but now I have good movement and flexibility. I feel like this area may be healed in a few months.

Again, massive improvement to the backs of my legs. A week or so ago, I could hardly walk, my legs were swollen, cracked and bleeding. Climbing stairs was like scaling Everest! Now, the backs of my legs are smoother. The swelling has gone and I can walk normally. Please look back at previous photos to appreciate the big improvement here.

This is the photo that I want to spend some time talking about, and will be monitoring over the next few days.

I have mentioned in previous posts about a stubborn weeping patch of skin on my calf that has been troubling me for several weeks now. I thought that if I let the air get to it, that it would heal, but it just continued to worsen. Eventually, it did form a thin papery scab, but the scab tore off one night and the wound remained.

I put my problem to the support group, to see if anyone could advise me. One of the members, who is training to be a nurse, suggested a method called "moist wound healing". I googled the term and found many interesting articles, supporting the fact that wounds heal quicker in a moist environment that if they are left to form a scab.

I wiped the wound clean and put on a thin layer of vaseline before applying a dressing and securing it with microporous tape. I would regularly change the dressing and apply more vaseline.

The above photo is my progress after using this method for 2 days. The wound is paler and is healing well. It is oozing less, and I am not having to change the dressing so frequently. I am going to take regular photos to document the healing process.

Another thing that I have found useful in withdrawal is herbal tea at night. The one I use is called "sleep easy" by Clipper, and it contains cinnamon, chamomile, lemon balm and valerian. It knockes me out at night and makes me itch less. I am also drinking Twinings cherry and cinnamon tea during the day, as it is also a relaxing tea and makes me less itchy. It is worth looking out for these effective ingredients in choosing a herbal tea to relieve symptoms.