Monday, July 8, 2013

Week One Complete!

Hey guys!

So yesterday was officially the one week mark in  my recovery. It's been pretty rough, but I suppose I really shouldn't complain because the worse is yet to come.

Already I've definitely noticed the effects of sleep deprivation. Getting only a couple of hours, if that, of sleep each night wears on your body quickly. I have minimal energy and find myself with my eyes closed for a good portion of the day. It is also very mentally draining.

Saturday was a good day and night for me. Oozing had stopped completely and the redness went down dramatically, especially on my arms, which were completely red from shoulder to hand. The skin had become very dry and was flaking off. I also was able to get more sleep than normal. However, last night saw a turn of events. My skin began oozing in some areas again (especially behind the knees) and while my arms are still decent my legs and feet are quite hot and painful. My back and stomach are flaking relentlessly.

As of now, I am taking 3 antihistamines; Allegra, Levocetrizine, and Hydroxizine. I'm also taking Vitamin D tablets once a day.

On my skin I'm using tons of Aquaphor, which is basically a petroleum jelly. I also use Cetaphil  during the middle of the day.

I often feel very cold and shaky, even when it's very hot out and my skin is burning. The best way to describe it is as a feverish type of thing.

Yesterday I experienced a new symptom. Shortly after I woke up, my heart began pounding rapidly. It almost felt like a fish flopping in my chest. I drained of all color in my face and lips, and became extremely dizzy and nauseous. I also experienced blacked out vision. I would say I was very close to fainting. I do have a history of fainting, and have needed stitches on my head due to blacking out and falling. I also have a heart condition called PFO. There is a chance that this may be the cause of theses symptoms, however it felt much different than it usually does.

One week down, tons more to go!

4 comments:

  1. Hi Ashley!
    I'm at Day 20 in my TSW recovery and have pretty much the same symptoms as you. Sleep dep is really trying me at the moment (hence why I'm posting at 1am on a work night) and my skin is just terrible. Constant weeping is currently the worse skin symptom for me. Always feel sticky and damp and just grose. Your dizzy spell could be due to the fact that our adrenal glands aren't working the way they are supposed to at the moment. I read that means that you may exhibit symptoms of low blood pressure/hypoglycemia which can cause dizziness upon standing. I've had this happen to me so I really try to make sure I eat and drink regularly throughout the day. Could possibly be part of the problem? Anywho congrats on your 1 week! It really does feel like forever but the days start to speed up. Just have to keep the eyes on the prize =)
    Michelle

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    1. I've been oozing terribly lately too. Definitely the worst part of all of this. Good luck Michelle!

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  2. Hey Ashley!

    Oozing is one tough symptom to combat. I remembered sweating ooze at my worst. But every single day off steroid is one day closer to complete healing. I like to think of it as the skin regurgitating all the poison that we have been feeding it when it flares real bad - healing is taking place!

    I am a week to 5 months into this journey, and what I can say is that fasting seem to help reduce the inflammation and make things bearable. You may want to give it a try. Best of luck in healing! :)

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  3. Some say the sooner you flare the faster you heal. Hopefully you will get through it quickly. Stay strong. There are some hard times up ahead but you can do it! Have you tried dead sea salt baths? Such a relief to be in the tub! xx

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