Peace Out Eczema: Month 1

(3/1/2014 - 3/31/2014)
(Day 1- Day 31)

Day 12

Day 14

I believe it was at this point that I discovered Topical Steroid Withdrawal... I was so depressed from having no idea what was going on and it was getting PAINFUL.

Day 15

My arms felt like someone was pouring acid on them. It was so horribly painful.

Day 22

Day 23

3:07

Woke up dry and swollen. Ears are hot, swollen and flaking

Lots of night sweating and oozing.

6:13

Nausea

Racey heart

10:00p

Decided to go to bed without a shower. Dry healing. Had to apply Vaseline on neck.

Day 24

2am

Sweating. Itchy. Ears smell of dirty sponge. Neck oozy. Light headache. Shoulders horribly stiff. Shirt damp. Steaming.

3am

Can't sleep

7am

Felt so weak and terrible Chad stayed home. Went back to sleep.

12:00

Woke up smelling my sweat- so disgusting. Hair crusted to my neck. Hit my arm on the corner of a cupboard and it started bleeding a

8:26

Feeling angry. Incredibly angry. My skin doesn't seem to be getting better, but rather different and spreading. I don't want to say worse, but not better. The sleepless nights are Killing me. The hot and cold is like a rollercoaster. Having trouble staying positive. No energy. Feel sick. Very hard to deal with. Chad is frustrated and stressed after taking care of the girls for 1 day.

-tinnitus seems to get worse the hotter my skin feels.

-my skin on my neck and shoulders is so tight and tender that I don't like moving my neck and find that I hold it really stiff without knowing. After it tenses up so badly, I finally stretch it and it pops dramatically every way I turn it. As I feel that relief, my skin starts to feel cold from the oozing.

I'm so angry. I'm angry that I used control cream for so long and it had steroids in it! I'm ANGRY.

I'm angry that I had to stop nursing for this. I'm angry that it's taken away so much of my life. I'm angry that I don't want my kids touching me.

Day 25

I braved the world. Today I washed with distilled water. It has a severe drying effect, but I it was better than oozing. I didn't apply moisturizer because I didn't want the itch. Went to the doctor and she thinks I also have candida. I got tested for EVERYTHING. Hair cut off etc. She recommended a probiotic, magnesium, GABA, and food enzymes.

My skin felt like it was improving and was extremely flakey. And dry. No moisturizer.

10:00

Before bed, stretched and the skin broke a bit prompting itching and a strong desire to get rid of the flakes. I rinsed my arms, face, chest, and neck with distilled water. My arms immediately started burning. I HAD to apply Vaseline. After applying Vaseline, my arms burned like someone had poured acid. Unending, unnerving, excruciating pain. I sat, still, trying to calm my nausea and dizziness from the pain while Chad got me ice packs. After about 10 minutes of ice, it felt better and I was able to lay down. Couldn't sleep and got up for a few hours.

I bumped my arm on the cabinet and it bled.

I braved the outdoors for a doctor visit. I could hardly turn my head or move my face.

Day 26

9am:

Woke up and inflammation was down! Skin was terribly flakey! It made my black pants look white with all the dead skin. Actually starting to see real improvements. This is the best I've felt since quitting. Normal skin appearing! Can actually move my neck without cracking! And shoulders! Skin on face

My throat hurt and I have a zit looking bump in my right tonsil.

This is the first day in 2.5 weeks I've been able to hug my kids with abandon. It's invigorating. Feeling very hopeful! Oozing has subsided!! I rolled around and played with my babies! Kissed their faces!

10:00pm

First shower that didn't make me nausea is and dizzy from pain!!! praise god!! Lathered up with Vaseline.

Day 28