Sunday, November 10, 2013

Day 86 - Week 13

It's been a while since I've last updated.  Just thought I'd give a quick update here, and I'm glad to say that I'm bringing good news!

Overall speaking, I feel much more energetic than the first two months. Compared to the beginning times when I felt like collapsing after 8 hours of work at the office, I now have energy that will last for a day for most days, although I do get really sleepy when I don't sleep well at night. It feels so much better with energy back because it feels like I know what I'm doing, compared to sleepwalking before.

Face - much less red now, and I feel like it's closer to normal color.  But when I look at pictures I take with others, I still look darker in color and a bit redder. I don't know if that's my normal skin tone or if it'll go away... but at least now I can pass as a normal person without people asking if I got a sunburnt.  I'm still using Dr. Fukuya's skin repair lotion, and I feel like it's helping.  My face doesn't have flakes all over, just patches near the upper lip and sometimes on my forehead, and when it does peel the flakes are much smaller. I also don't have to moisturize as many times. I remember during my worst days in the first month I moisterized probably every 15 - 30 minutes to make it less tight and tame all the flakes (cuz I had to work and I don't want to scare people away), but now I probably moisturize like 7 - 8 times a day, and sometimes less. 

Limbs - The redness pretty much subsided. But there are many patches all over. And you could still clearly see elephant skin all over, with lines and creases everywhere. But the general feeling is much less uncomfortable, at least I don't feel like my skin is tugging on me when I move my limbs, and it doesn't feel like it's so dry that I couldn't move when I wake up. I also don't have to moisturize as much in the morning! Although by the end of the day, my skin would still get pretty uncomfortable that I crave for a shower. And it's still shedding skin, not as much as before though.

Hands - this is the most swollen part of all. My fingers are so swollen that I couldn't put on a ring that I previously found a bit lose. They also itch pretty bad sometimes.

Chest - for some reason, my chest sometimes get pretty itchy. I'm not sure if it's because it gets sweaty easily and the heat makes it itch. Right now I feel like it's the hardest place to heal.

Temperature regulation - it got better these days as I don't shiver badly for most of the time, though occasionally I get very cold being in the air-con room.  But now I sometimes sweat easily, especially under my armpits and chest area. I feel like the heat is just trapped inside my torso but it's not able to spread to my limbs to disspiate the heat. It's pretty frustrating sometimes as it makes my torso itch, but my limbs would feel a bit cold if I take off my jacket.

Hair loss - the other day I was taking a shower and quite a lot of hair came out. It totally freaked me out!!! And I lost quite some hair when I woke up.  But these couple of days I lost less hair. I really don't know what to do with it, but I hope it stops losing hair because I feel like my hair is thinning... I'm so worried about this [sob sob]

Overall I feel like I'm making progress, despite slowly. Hope everyone else is also showing signs of healing! :D

2 comments:

  1. hey Celine, great to see things improving for u. u must have done all ur research into this TSW, u sound so calm dealing with it haha. congrats on surviving the first 3 months. hope everyday is a improvement for u from now xxx ahfaye

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  2. Dear ahfaye, thanks so much for your encouragement! I wouldn't have been so calm if I didn't know that there are other TSW warriors out there going through the same as me... I've been reading your blog as well and you are such a brave and perservering woman! I can totally feel you because many of your TSW symptoms I've literally gone through them myself! And I must say that I look up to you, because sometimes on a bad skin day, or when I've had a terrible night of sleep, I'd just call in sick from work, but with your children to take care of you don't really have that excuse!

    Hang in there ahfaye, and I completely believe in you that you will heal and become the beautiful woman that you are!! xxx Celine

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