It's the end of March and I am coming up on 4 months completely off steroids. There have been several changes over the past 2 weeks.
Last week, I was in another horrible mini flare. I had painful edema in my face, arms, lower stomach, hips and legs. The skin on my face was not only swollen and puffy, but also raw and oozing constantly. It was so uncomfortable that it landed me in bed with my legs propped up almost the entire week. It was painful and awkward laying down because of the skin pricks and extreme itching.
I had mentioned before that my doctor had suggested water pills to help with the swelling. I took them, however, I'm not sure how much they actually helped. I was stressing because of the swelling, itching and sleepless nights.
Side note: I did manage a little treat for the week. That sweet potato ice cream I had mentioned before? Delicious!
This week, things seem to have turned around a bit. I am going to attribute it to tons of rest and my epsom salt baths. I had a lot of ginger and wheat grass and I would like to think that the combination gave my immune system a little boost.
The swelling in my face and legs are at an all time low (although I still have bad edema . One step at a time...). My skin also feels thicker. I still have a crazy itch, but at least I haven't been scratching the skin off. They say the itch is a good indication of healing though. So who knows. I've also been sleeping at night! This is awesome because honestly, I don't even remember the last time I've gone to bed at night and actually slept. I have been averaging about 4-5 hours of restful sleep. Woo hoo!
My face is not raw anymore, and has finally dried enough to the point where I think it will heal over. I hope that the swelling goes down some more.
OK, let's talk about the shedding for a minute. I thought it was bad before but good grief! It is unbelievable. How do I even have skin left at all? If you see me in person and think, "hey its snowing out. What the...?" it isn't the weather. It's simply my skin blowing in the wind.
I'm happy about the improvement of the swelling, however, the itch is driving me nuts and it just seems to spread spread spread. Hoping for a break soon. A real one. I miss being out in the sun and I have a bad case of cabin fever.
Here are some pictures I took for the update. While the swelling has improved, you'll notice that the skin is still angry and puffy. Notice the difference in the skin color on my face, hands and legs. The discoloration on my skin is disheartening and I hope that it fades soon.
Now in other news, Brad and I felt our first earthquake tonight! It was so weird. We were at a stoplight and the car starts bucking. My first thought was that the car was going to explode, and Brad's first thought was that I must be dancing in the car. Uh, I wasn't even moving.
It all happened so fast. The traffic lights were swaying and all the lights in the office buildings were flickering on and off. It was short lived, but exciting non the less.
Till next time,
Brandis
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
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