I've been meaning to do a skin update for a while, but I just haven't had the time to take any photos whilst the kids have been off school. Plus my teenage son hogs the PC to play Minecraft and Football Manager, so I have to grab it when I can.
So...here goes...
As you will know, throughout the summer, my skin was in a healed state. No flares, no cycles, no shedding, no redness. Just nice, smooth, supple, NORMAL skin. This has been the case for the last few months.
However, you may also know, if you are a long-term reader of this blog, that I have had a flare in October every year since quitting steroids. I am obviously concerned that this may happen again this year, especially now the darker nights are drawing in and there is less sunlight. Also, at this time of year, there are a lot of allergens in the air and my asthma always gets really bad in September.
So for the first time in months, I noticed my skin going through a mild flare cycle at the beginning of last week. The signs of a flare for me at this stage are:
Problems getting to sleep
Slight wetness behind my ear
Pink blotches on my cheeks and chin.
Generally feeling more itchy and reactive.
I also have an annoying crack on my left eyelid that appears when I'm in a flare!
I repeat, this flare was very mild and certainly not the full-body oozing and redness I have experienced previously. Symptoms were also limited to my facial area, with none of the rest of my body affected. I think this may mean that my body is fully healed, but my face still has to go through some mild flares before it is completely healed.
Anyway, pictures say it better than I can, so here are my photos:
So you can see my face is a little bit pinker than it was on my "summer healed" photos and I've also got some dry skin round my mouth area. Nothing too bad though, and certainly nowhere near as bad it has been in the past. My biggest concern is that this pink tone is going to be a prelude for a bigger flare in October, but maybe I'm being paranoid.
Legs are normal and have been for about 2 years now. I don't think they will flare again. They are healed for good, I hope.
You can see that the neck area is mainly clear but there is a little bit of blotching near the top. It's only very mild, but again, I worry it may get worse as I get less sunshine.
So you can see that my skin is still generally good and it certainly isn't stopping me from doing my daily activities. I'm just a bit upset because my skin was perfect up until a week ago and this mild flare could be a sign that I'm about to go downhill again.
I don't mean to discourage people by posting this, but I want to be 100% honest about the recovery process and how long it takes. it would have been easy for me to stop writing the blog after the last set of pictures and nobody would have been any the wiser, but there is no value deceiving people that way. The fact is, that people DO flare late into TSW and we really have no idea how long the healing process takes.
Stay positive. My skin has been perfect these last few months and will be again. I have had a glimpse of life beyond TSW and it is good. Even 3 months of good skin is better than the years and years of steroid application. I won't go back to that.
You readers can trust me to be honest and transparent about TSW. I will always tell the truth, even if it seems inconvenient to do so.
I have "prescribed" myself plenty of sunshine in order to stem the flow of the oncoming storm.
...and believe me..I think my storm IS coming. I think the big October flare is inevitable. Let's hope I am wrong.
9 comments:
I really hope that this is the end of the road for your TSW. I'm very glad to see how far you've come and the strength you've used to endure this horrible ordeal. Very inspiring.
Thanks Kayse.
Who would have guessed this journey would have taken so long?
Thing is, we've all got to keep going. There's no turning back!
I can't remember if you've tried this or not, so sorry if I'm lecturing... would a good quality Vit D supplement help at all? I know they have to be combined with something else for the Vit D to actually be absorbed.
Fingers crossed if you do flare in October that it won't be too severe. It is so sad that we know little about TSW... hopefully that will change over time, as more people learn about this.
I'll stay strong through my flares if you do ;)
Yes, I have tried quite a few different supplements and remedies throughout TSW, but haven't really found anything that helps.
It makes sense logically that the vitamin D would help. It is very similar in composition to steroids and being the sunshine vitamin I had high hopes when I tried it, but alas, it didn't seem to make a difference.
So right now I'm chasing the sun, which is lucky because we are having a nice sunny week right now and I don't need an excuse to sit in the garden!
Chasing sunshine is a great idea!
Again, sorry to lecture. It is good you tried the supplements though. I will have my fingers crossed for you in the coming weeks!
Yes, it makes a big difference. I sat out in the sun yesterday and this morning I woke up with clear skin again. I'm really happy.
This makes me soooooo happy to read!! I’m so glad you are doing well! I’m just at my one year and coming out if a big flare. Can’t wait to be where you are!
Thanks for always being honest about your withdrawal! I think it so important for us to be honest about the ups and downs. Glad to hear this flare isn't as bad and that the sunshine is helping to clear it up!
Thanks Leslie. I appreciate the fact that you are honest too and I LOVE your latest photos on your blog. You are doing so well!
My flare has passed now. I really should get round to posting photos, because everyone will think I still look like this! I'm a lot better now, although I woke up with a cold. Typical!
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