Month 19

Just checking in for another update! Still doing good, seeing slow but steady progress. My rashy areas are getting smaller and smaller, when I can manage to not scratch. However, I notice that I still get weird heat rashes/hives after exercising which is quite bothersome. This is what happened after I went biking in the sun the other day:

It went away after an hour or so, but it never fails to happen after I sweat. I wonder how long it will be until my skin is no longer hypersensitive? Or will it be like this forever? Hopefully not....

Month 18 and doing well!

Wow! Month 18 already....time has really been flying by this summer. I'm happy to report that I'm seeing steady improvement in places I thought I'd never see any.

Please excuse the towel turban...

Eyelids are doing better overall, they usually look much better but are acting up a bit today.

Wow this camera really accentuates the dryness....but overall my perioral area is significantly less red!

Shoulders are slowly, SLOWLY getting better.

Inner arm is on and off most days because of scratching

Wrists are...somewhat better

Neck is still the most problematic area, but I can deal with this much.

The song "Started From The Bottom" by Drake just came up on my Spotify...and truly, I started from the bottom, now I'm here! 

Month 17!

So far month 17 has been ok! Mostly the same, but a few improvements to share!

Still very flaky and dry in some areas 

Neck is still the worst area for me

Shoulders aren't so great as well (mostly due to scratching)

Now for the grand reveal!

Wrist before:

Wrist after:

Completely back to normal, no trace of a rash or scars or anything!

Forearm perfect!

Inner arms still giving me a bit of trouble, but they're getting better!

Wrist still horrible.

Hope everyone is doing well! If not, just keep in mind the fact that you will heal!

Doing a lot better!

So happy to say that my recent flare has disappeared. It seems like most traces of tsw on my body are slowly fading, and it's just my scratching habit keeping things a bit rough. Also, happy to say that I will be attending University of California San Diego in the fall majoring in molecular biology. I'm not exactly sure what my career goal is yet, but perhaps topical steroids will come into my research someday? But, that will be very VERY far in the future. It would be a great way to thank ITSAN for everything it's done and contribute to this cause. Bye for now!

Month 16

Sorry to bear bad news, but month 16 has brought one of my worst flares since starting tsw. I finally know what it was that made me flare: vitamin E oil from the capsule. I thought it was that I had consumed too much sugar, or that it was my pre-menstrual cycle flare, but it was indeed the vitamin E oil. I used it again a few days ago, thinking that it was safe because I had used it before with no reaction. Then the day after, I could barely open my eyes because they were so swollen, I was oozing and swollen from everywhere that I had applied the oil, and my other tsw areas that I hadn't applied the oil were flaring as well. The swelling is going down very very gradually, but even 2 days later it still looks bad.

This flare was just so alarming to me because my face has never become so swollen before. When I looked into the mirror, I could not recognize myself at all. I know that I will get better and this will all go away, but in the meantime it is quite difficult to just put my entire life on hold. I've already missed 2 days of school, and am probably going to miss tomorrow as well. Hopefully I will have the strength to carry on for a few more days and see myself heal.

To anyone who has had eye and facial swelling, how long does it usually take to go down? The info would be very much appreciated. I hope that you are all faring well, and if not, we can wait it out together.

Note to self #2...

Cut out sugar! Flaring again....a bad one with ooze and swelling and everything. I'm 99% sure it was because I consumed so many sugary foods yesterday, way more than normal. Sigh, another lesson learned.

Note to self...

Never use olive oil ever again.

 

But other than that, my arms are great! My inner wrist is beautiful!

Outer wrist still needs work 

I still have the habit of scratching...which explains those cuts.

 Neck is still not good...lately each night I've been having scratch attacks and my neck ends up oozing. It's not the typical TSW yellow ooze, but more like the watery clear ooze you get from over scratching. I've tried wearing scarves and gloves but still end up scratching at night. Undoes all of my progress ):

 Hopefully I can break my scratching habit for good!