My Topical Steroid Withdrawal update – Month 41

Another month has passed (please remind me how it's November already?!) and as per, I have my monthly update for you. I'm not sure how long I should keep these posts going - maybe until any problems I experience cease to exist but really, the issues I face now are so small and most people in the world have random skin problems anyway. I think I'll carry on for the next couple of months then review it early next year but please let me know what you would like me to do. My skin this month has been wonderful. I say that like it's something new when really, apart from the odd blip with my hands, it's been like that since I got better in August last year. I will add that over time I have noticed both the quality and strength of my skin is improving. It's surreal. Will I ever get used to this?! GAH! You accept your skin is bad for so long that when it isn't, it takes a long time to sink in. I will never stop being grateful for this experience. When I thought I had 'incurable' eczema, for years there was this awful sinking feeling of resignation. Topical steroids and immunosuppressants were going to be part of my life forever and I just had to deal with it. It's been a wonderful month for me personally too and I don't think I have ever felt happier, especially after a few really tough months. I've been working hard on myself and also trying to once and for all deal with something that I have lived with (secretly) for over sixteen years. I do want to talk about it properly soon but I don't think I'm ready to just yet. The only thing I will say about it is that if I can get to a point where it doesn't control my life, I will truly feel free. Sorry for the ramble guys! I have a few things I want to talk about but like I said, they are all minor.

• For a while I had some dry spots dotted over the top half of my legs. It was such a small issue that I didn't feel it was even worth mentioning in my last update post but on Thursday 6th October 2016 I noticed there were a few more and a couple of small rashes too (pictured below). I totally forgot about this until recently but the same thing happened last year - around December/January time to a more severe degree. After a while they just cleared up and haven't returned until now. This time I think they might be more to do with the fact that I don't use any moisturiser and I have worn mostly jeans and close-fitting trousers so my skin hasn't had a chance to really breathe. In a week or so I am going to try dry body brushing and if that doesn't help, I'll give exfoliating a go - very gently though. The rashes cleared up quickly and over the last month the dry spots have been coming and going. I'll keep you posted on their progress.
• On Saturday 8th October 2016, late morning/early afternoon time, I had the awful (all too familiar) feeling of thousands of bugs crawling over my face and scalp followed by horrible nerve zaps on my skin generally. I only get this very rarely now but when I do, I always forget how bad it feels. It went after a few hours though and at no point was there any sign that anything was going on with my skin if you looked at me. It's just my body repairing itself after the damage that topical steroids have inflicted and I'm totally cool with that. To be honest, I find it all quite amazing how the skin can heal the way it has.
• On Thursday 13th October 2016 I started feeling like I was getting a bit of a cold - only minor symptoms like a sore throat and tickly cough. In the evening my skin felt irritated and my lips were so sore. You couldn't see anything that suggested there was even the hint of a problem though. Maybe it's because my symptoms are so weak now that they don't show?
• On Saturday 22nd October 2016 I couldn't sleep. Amongst other things, my skin felt so irritated. Not irritated enough to actually scratch it - it was more like a tingle. I woke up the next morning feeling just as irritated. On Saturday I had had a lot of white flour over the day (something I don't have much of) including some scones. I don't know if I have mentioned this before but I think there is an ingredient that they add to certain supermarket prepackaged bakery items - like those scotch pancakes and other sweeter baked goods - that give me a reaction. Not 100% sure on this though and need to do some more digging. Once more, absolutely nothing showed on my skin. It felt completely unrelated to TSW too and more of an allergy. Plus it was a TOTALLY different sensation to the deep bone itch that you get with TSW. The feeling gradually subsided over the day on Sunday and by Monday it was gone.
• On the evening of Monday 24th October 2016 there was a tiny spot on my right hand, just below the knuckle of my right thumb. It had a head on it, which I squeezed and afterwards a very small area around it felt itchy but not enough to cave in and scratch. The itch went the following day but the patch of skin around it was a slightly different texture. I mean, it was so minute that my camera wasn't able to pick anything up, it's only really me that would notice anything was different but on Monday 31st October 2016 the area became irritated again. There was almost a shadow of red on my skin where the irritation was but again it was too faint to take a photo of. I didn't scratch it but I put my hand on cool things which felt A-MA-ZING and completely killed the itch. The itch returned mildly on the evening of Friday 4th November 2016 but was gone again this morning. I included a photo of my hand that I took just now so you can see exactly how little it has affected the area.
• On the evening of Thursday 3rd November 2016 I had really sore lips that were also very dry. The following morning it was like nothing had happened but later on in the day, they felt dry again. They are much better this morning and there is only a bit of noticeable dryness (photo included below). For the last few days I've felt like I have been getting a cold that's never materialised and that is when I find my lips are affected.  

Remember each month that passes is another month closer to getting better <3
Hugs
Cara xxxx