Can't believe I have made it this far. In the first few weeks I wasn't sure how I was going to get through it and I dreamed of being further into my healing journey. Well here we are and the worst has certainly passed. The first six weeks were terrible but then I started to see slight improvements and each week I now seem to be getting a little better.
I have been able to go out a lot more now as my face a neck has calmed down considerably and I also just have a new attitude about the whole thing. I just want to embrace each day and even though some days my face is still terrible and people ask me what's wrong I have a new found confidence as I know I'm on the road to recovery now.
The worst parts of my body now are my hands and my ankles. My hands are always getting wet and splitting so it's taking its toll on them healing. My ankles are very swollen and red and split. It's still spring time so the weather is cool and refreshing. It's been the best weather to go through this and I'm praying as it heats up that I see more improvement as it's hard to dress head to toe in stifling Queensland heat.
The other major factor that is slowing down my recovery is lack of sleep due to insomnia and breastfeeding my baby.
Every night even though I'm so tired and dream of sleeping I lay awake for hours on end my skin on fire and SO ITCHY. It drives me totally mad and I cover myself in ice packs trying to numb the nerves. It works for a while but sleep still doesn't come. I would say I'm averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night at the moment in between feeding Bub and laying awake with my skin issues.
I have been able to slow down on the bathing (the water bill is happy about that!). I have gone from two baths for an hour or two each day to around one a week. This is a definite sign of improvement as I am no longer waking up totally unable to move and having to soak in an oil bath. I still shower morning and night and douse myself in oil and sit around while it dries. With the kiddies this proves very difficult and I can't wait to cut back on the showers and the oil.
Oily and covered in kiddies
I also had some test results come back from the naturopath which showed that I have Pyrolle disorder which is an inability to retain zinc and B6 which are both very crucial to skin health. There is no easy fix so I have just been doing all I can such as -
Getting heaps of sun each day
Eating very healthy - paleo diet
Drinking loads of water
Taking good supplements and probiotics
Trying to stress less and enjoy each day more
Going to bed early and trying the best I can to sleep
Going swimming in salt water
Bathing in apple cider vinegar and oil
Remaining positive and trusting God that a better day is in store
The biggest breakthrough for me recently was feeling confident enough to go swimming at the beach in a bikini with my friends around. I haven't worn a bikini in years, let alone whilst going through this whole skin adventure.
Well I just thought what the heck is the worst that can happen and did it. I have lost a ton of weight from the diet so at least I was feeling more positive about my body size. The kids loved me swimming with them and my skin loved the effects of the salt water after the excruciating stinging had worn off. I've now been swimming a few more times and will keep it up this summer.
Here is a little look at my skin this past month.
