Day 455 – 1yr 3months mark

gosh! Its been one year and 3 months since i stopped topical steroids! 

What has improved?

Im afraid i cant confidently say ALOT has improved. If anything, i think my mindset towards TSW has become more tolerant. I stopped panicking when flares happen. 

To be honest, the ups and downs… It feels much like its been down down down down and up alittle (with antibiotics) and then sliding down again. 

Whats the problem, i wonder? 

Diet

At this point in time, i’ve not worked for nearly 1 year. Finances are low and dry. I’m not eating as strict as before. On and off i’ll eat gluten bread and noodles, tiny bits of soy tofu, chilli nightshade but still NO PRAWNS. I also eat chocolate on and off :X

Applecider soaks

I stopped soaking since the antibiotic episode afew months ago. Im still infection free(swollen, raised and painful kind of cellulitis infection). I probably have growing staph on my legs. I seriously dont know how to sort that out without antibiotics. Is it the answer? Afew days ago i went to ITSAN forums after a long long time and theres a discussion about antibiotics. Plenty of members reported some good skin days while on it but it return to normal after the course. So how now, brown cow? I wonder if soaking makes the staph spread all over the calf. Now the staph-ish patch is quite defined and surrrounded by “non oozy healthy skin”. On a side note, I also use just 1 big gauze on my left leg today, quite an achievement. 

Coping strategies

When i sleep at night, i still towel wrap my legs. Scratching them at night is less these few months. But the itch can be on and off. I no longer towel wrap my right arm. Just my left arm becos of the darn itch scratch bleed cycle on my knuckles. I wrap a dry towel and pull an arm sleeve over to secure it. 

When i need to leave the house, i will gauze up the bad eczema leg areas with micropore tape then wear my jeans and headout. 

Creams, lotions

For oozy areas – zinc oxide. People seem to recommend stefanie’s The Home Apothecary zinc balm. I have it and use it. 

Other creams i tried:

Four cows farm calendula remedy: kinda like it. But its yellowish and sometimes i cant tell if my skin is oozing or its the cream.

Four cows farm tea tree remedy: i love tea tree becos of its anti bacterial properties. I think its important to keep troubled skin bacteria free. 

General moisturiser: moogoo irritable skin balm/ eczema psorosis cream. I feel that its not too bad. 

Supplements

Sad to say, im not really consistent with my supplements. Before the antibiotic episode, i was eating quite a big dose of vit c. Like min 5000mg to 9000? Every hour 1000mg if i could remember. And no, i didnt encounter loose stools. BUT STILL.  I got sick and had to see a doc for the recurring fever and sorethroat. But thank god for the slight relief and better skin. I also had some olivaforte(oleuopein extract?) on and off. I bought Great Lakes gelatin powder to eat too. Im not too sure if it made me flare. I also ate a high protein diet for awhile, but i didnt see any healing. Probably protein = imflammatory. And i need to lower inflammation more than anything. I bought L glutamine but i’ve not tried it yet. 

Probiotics

I also stopped eating LactoGG(Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG?) . Apparently its good for eczema and some parents said it helps in a flare? I did take 2-3 tabs 1 week before my dec15 taiwan trip when i was flaring(stress maybe?). i think it helped manage it somehow. BUT DANG, its expensive at $69 a box of 30 tabs. I took VSL to replenish my probiotics after the antibiotics episode and i bought another box to eat recently. 

Anti histamines

I think i need to applaud myself for not taking anti histamines frequently this TSW. I’ve never taken anti histamines daily for more than 3 or 4 days straight. I’ve seen some parents feeding their eczema kids antihistamines daily. Yes daily. Omg man. Anti histamines is not a long term solution. But heck, even my own parents ask me to anti histamines all the time. I’ll like to keep my anti histamines for emergency uses only, thanks. Like times where im gonna pull my hair out or flip crazy from terrible flares. 

TCM

My tcm treatment is also reaching 1 year. Sometimes i wonder if its the right course for me, but really, its hard to find a supportive doctor or healthcare practitioner who understands TSW. I’ve been wanting to visit the Osaka TSW doctor. But really running low on the money -_-

Work

I’ve been working part time(brainless work) since august 15? Theres plenty of time where i dont feel like going. Im really wondering if i should go back to fulltime work.

3 big issues now

Currently the 3 things that bugs me most:

• Sleep. I feel that i cant get to sleep and have a good night’s sleep. I totally feel the effects.
• Oozy ankles and edema. Still swelling. Without tcm herbs, the swelling is worst.
• Finances and work

Problem skin areas

• Oozy patch near the ears
• Ankles, feet, calves
• Left inner elbow
• Fingers