A distant memory

I can't believe I am saying this but using steroids feels like a distant memory to me now. My partner and I were discussing our achievements over the last year, promotions,  exam results, I got my motorbike license, and I actually had to be reminded I came off steroids. This isn't to say I take my skin success lightly, I just feel free of them.its nice to look like a normal person again. Thanks for reading, and please get in touch with our stories or questions. I took so much help from others online, so if I can do anything for you, you need only ask. With love, sarah xxx

The last post

So here are my latest pictures. My face has cleared up completely, no redness, no flaking,itching,peeling or swelling. Thank god. I can't believe I no longer use steroids! My daily routine is shower, apply dermalex for rosacea then sweet almond oil. Then I apply makeup and go about my business as usual. At the end of the day I can use sensitive baby wipes to remove my makeup, reapply cream and then go to bed! I can last a day with makeup now and don't have to run to the shower as soon as I wake up. To summarise, I feel like a normal person. Without the support of y partner I never would have done this so I owe him a lot, and thankyou for reading my blog, primitive as it may be, and I hope it helps someone. Thanks!

6 weeks

The last two weeks have been much of a much was. My skin is a lot more stable and I have been able to work my normal shifts (10. Hours)  without taking off and reapplying cream/oil and makeup. At the  end of the day my skin has been a bit tight and dry. I have still stuck to my routine of sweet almond oil and dermalex cream for rosacea and cuperose( excellent) an the occasional Epsom salts wash. Thankfully this is only now at the beginning and end of the day. I have noticed that under my chin has become dry and I have flaky skin at the corner Of my mouth. This may be due to the fact that My mouth is most active part of my face (surprisingly)!!! On top of this, my eyebrows have nearly all fallen out, you can't tell thanks to a handy eyebrow pencil!  Overall it's still a great recovery, as when I wash my face or rub it, it gets less red, where before it meant instant redness. Here are some pictures of my face today

Ill admit that the dark circles are only as a result of the 14 hour shifts I've put in this week :-( but apart from that its looking good. Long may it continue!! 

4 weeks, ITCHY!!!

I made it! 4 weeks! This week has been strange, good day/bad day/good day/ bad day. One day my skin is smooth, no tightness or redness, the next day is flaking off, right and itchy beyond belief! I am staying positive and it's gettinging less extreme everyday, I've had a few funny comments at woe though, " you look terrible you should go home! Are you ill?" Etc, again thanks.
I don't understand the idea that it is ok to comment on this, I would never approach someone and inform them of their morbid obesity or terrible haircut. Do people think I am unaware I what my face looks like? That is just leave the house without looking in the mirror. People of earth, leave ermine alone. I also find that people find it ok to constantly tell me "oh you're so skinny" as I am slim, but what if I had suffered from an wasting disorder? Is that any different from calling someone fat? Can't we just stick to "you look great/lovely/ I love your outfit" instead of highlighting the worst thing and telling them,  like thy hadn't noticed? Yes, something of a rant there, but I have recently been considering our willingness to offer our opinion, even whe it isn't asked for.
It's nice to be able to kiss my partner again without putting my hand over his beard, or pulling away due to the irritation.
I have so started using dermalex cream for rosacea and cuperose, to add some moisture to my skin along wit sweet almond oil over the last couple of weeks. And it has really helped with he dryness and redness.  So here are this weeks pic

The redness is really dying down, although at the side and tip of my nose I have these weird wrinkles when I smile or stretch my nose, like the skin is cling film!

Hopefully next week it will relax a bit and be less ITCHY!! 

3 weeks, and a great improvement.

So, 3 weeks Of no steroids, and finally, the tightness has lifted. I have stopped washing my face at night and just using hot water and a flannel, occasionally with Epsom salts in the morning the romve the flaky skin. After that its more sweet almond oil. The spots are still there, but not really sore, occasionally itchy though. Here is a pic

This is easily covered up with makeup thankfully, although I've sucked it up ad gone makeup free to work for the last week to give my skin a break. 

It was my intention to do the same today until a tactless colleague I haven't seen for a while ran up to me and told me I looked awful and should I home and proceeded to tell other people how awful I looked. Thanks. Quietly saying "it's a skin condition" did nothing either, so I had to jun to the toilets and apply makeup or risk being touted as the next elephant man. My skin is finally feeling normally I the touch, if only a little rough around my nose and mouth. I'm really feeling good at this point, and even stupid comments from thoughtless people can't stop me!!

2 weeks and counting!

2 weeks today! I don't wan to tempt fate but it's going well. The spots have almost stopped appearing, and I haven't been wearing makeup so I've been able to apply sweet almond oil as soon as I feel any tightening. Today is the best day so far, my skin is not as red, nearly no spots and the strange purple/red patches around my eyes have nearly disappeared. Here are a couple of pics from today

The flakyness has nearly stopped also, I think this is due to my approach. No chemicals/soap/scratching and only sweet almond oil on my skin. I appreciate I sound a bit smug, (I feel a bit smug!) But other people suffer much, much worse than this so I tip my hat to them. Here is a picture of me before, just for comparison

That's me bottom left in the red, nice calm skin. I'm still getting swelling in the mornings, but I does go down much faster. 

More photos and progress!!!

So as I said in the last post, 1 week and 4. Days in.

Feeling much better throughout the day, however when I wake up my eyes are really swollen, this has happened or about the last three days, so my routine has become as follows;

Get up and straight into Epsom salts bath, and using a flannel gently wipe the flaky skin away and press the hot flannel against my face, this seems to take a bit of the swelling down and loosen the tight skin.

Immediately after that slather my face in sweet almond oil, which requires reapplying 10 minutes later. 

Take ibuprofen to ease the swelling and use a dozen bag of peas against my face for 10 minutes to take the swelling down further. 

After that its more oil and massage throughout the day, foundation is a no no unless I am going to work, then it's just to cover any dark circles under my eyes.

Here are some pictures from a week in

Big difference! Spots are less angry and there is less general redness, but you can see my eyes are swollen. My nose is very red at the end, and swollen when I first wake up. The tightness is my skin is easing off, this might be due to me forcing myself to smile and make facial expressions as I normally would.  I have resisted the urge to itch, I really don't want an infection or scarring from this. 

My partner has been brilliant, so supportive and boosts my confidence, even though I was in a terrible mood a couple of days ago and spent the day moaning and snapping at him, I felt awful and he realised why I was so down in the dumps, but it really dominates your thoughts. He deserves a medal!

 So here's some pictures from today

The swelling is easing off, I think this may be to do with the Epsom salts and ice packs. 

The skin around my eyes is a bit red, almost like the cartoon deadpool! But on the whole I can't believe how well I'm doing, all you have to do is google "topical steroid withdrawal" and see how bad some people suffer.

When I'm in a warm room my face gets all hot and red so I'm trying to stay cool most of the time. People at work have commented that it looks sore and asked questions but have been pretty supportive, so my positive mental attitude is a bit easier to maintain.

More posts and pics to follow, ill try not to bore people to death.