6.9.13 Day 183: Today I have officially been withdrawing from topical steroids for 6 months! To celebrate and help other red skin warriors out there, my screen printing company Notorious Sportswear will donate $5 to ITSAN (International Topical Steroid Addiction Network) for every Warrior shirt sold on the Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotoriousSportswear?ref=shop_sugg
Here is how I am looking 6 months into withdrawal:
just a small rash on the back of my right shoulder
lots of rash on the back of my left shoulder
bits of rash on my chest
still rocking those lovely red lines
Song of the Day: "Hey, this is not a funeral. It's a revolution, after all your tears have turned to rage, just wait, everything will be okay. even when you're feeling like it's going down in flames. Oh, people like us we've gotta stick together. Keep your head up, nothing lasts forever. Here's to the damned, to the lost and forgotten. It's hard to get high when you're living on the bottom. We are all misfits living in a world on fire...sing it for the people like us, the people like us" People Like Us - Kelly Clarkson
Wore makeup just about every day this week just fine! There is just a bit of dryness around my mouth still
Still taking Atarax at night for the discomfort on my neck
Arms are still flared and flaking like crazy around the creases
front and backs of shoulders are still rashy
Finally able to workout without the sweat burning my skin
Survived my first Bikram yoga class, aka yoga in a 105 degree and 40% humidity room for those of you who didn't know
Pro - sweating and detoxing felt great
Con - I scratched during the class and ended up tearing myself up. First I was just red all over, then once that died down I had BRIGHT red scratch marks on my face, neck, arms, chest. I had to cover my arms and layer on the makeup so that I wouldn't look scary at camp. I think I will try the class again and just try really hard not to scratch with my nails.
Back of right shoulder
chest/neck
Back of left shoulder
Neck/chest
Song of the Week: "And I've been known to take a big chance but I can't waste another shot at redemption. Oh I'm ready don't let me go passing through the wrong hands, wrong hands. My confidence is in crisis mode, your fingertips well they know the code. Release me and take other piece of me and there won't be another left. C'mon release me, release me take onother piece of me and there won't be another left unless you let go." Release Me - Jack's Mannequin
5.26.13 Day 169 - 6.1.13 Day 175: This week I printed my first big screen printing order since having to stop due to TSW (too tired, couldn't straighten my arms to pull the squeegee, skin was too sensitive to even the mildest chemicals)!!! So excited to be back doing something that I love.
This week was also the beginning of staff training with Cactus Day Camp. This is my fifth and probably final summer at camp :( I used the most wonderful sunscreen just a few weeks ago (badger brand from Sprouts) it is basically made from shea butter, extra virgin olive oil, etc all things I have been able to use on my skin. anyways, I used it one time on my face this week and it burned like hell! I ended up having to wash it off and hold an ice pack on my face for twenty minutes until my skin calmed down. I felt raw the whole next day. How weird that something so natural could feel great two weeks ago and burn this week this far into withdrawal.
Song of the week: "Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself and covered with a perfect shell. Such a charming, beautiful exterior. Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes, perfect posture, but your're barely scraping by, but you're barely scraping by. This is one time, this is one time, that you can't fake it hard enough to please everyone or anyone at all...or anyone at all. And the grave that you refuse to leave, the refuge that you've built to flee, the places that you've come to fear the most, is that place that you've come to fear the most." The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most - Dashboard Confessional
