Another Update

It's now thursday, the reunion is over. I had a lot of fun, visited with a lot of people and did a lot of shopping which was all good and I was sorry it was over.

However, the warm weather and riding in the car set me back a good week as far as healing goes which really annoys me and now, we have no water! That's right. we have a leak in our water main and there is no water at our house. It has been turned off. They did turn it on for me to take my bath last night, but the hot water heater was switched off that morning and it was cold and more cold. I was able to heat enough water on the stove to make it tolerable but it was still an unpleasant experience. Hopefully the plumber came today like he said he would.

Besides that it is ooze and more ooze. I'll be glad when it stops. It is in some very uncomfortable places. My belly button, for example and it seems like I'm changing clothes all the time. Work is fun. The first 4 hours are o.k. but the second 4 hours are some type of endurance test, especially when I only have poly/cotton blend chinos to wear.

More updates

Aaaargh! this crazy yeast will not go away. I skip even one day of using the bleach bath and it comes back with a great gooey itchy vengeance! The trouble is, the bleach is ruining the rest of my skin. My hands and feet are starting to crack they are so dry. All the Vitamin D ointment seems to be good for is making the skin on my neck feel warm and get thin. T-shirt neckbands cut into my neck, literally. We're talking wounds. I want to scream, and I'm sick of doing laundry!

There are a few good things. I love Anti-monkey Butt Powder. It only has three ingredients and works really well. I've also found out that if I slap a layer of body oil on my not yeasty skin it keeps the bleach from drying it so much. My head is almost healed, only a few little spots that are still crusty.

I am healing. Every day is a little bit better (except for yesterday which was just annoying). I'd be happier if I were further along. I'm going to Portland this weekend for my High School reunion and it would be nice if my skin wasn't crawling, or crazy itching, or oozing and if the skin on my neck would stretch. It would also be nice if I could wear makeup, use hairstyling products, deodorant, wear collars, earrings. I guess I'm just picky.

Update

It is now August 12, a Wednesday. I switch to the other topical medication tommorrow. It's a Vitamin D ointment, usually used to treat Psoriasis. I have to avoid sunlight as long as I use it. Should be interesting. My skin and hair is old desert bones dry, I imagine from bathing in bleach, but until the yeast rash is long gone I am not stopping. Most of it is healing up rather nicely I just have one spot that is hanging on.

I read a blog post by a lady who is insulin-dependent diabetic. Apparently they have a lot of trouble with yeast rashes on their skin, or "yeastie-beasties" as she calls them. It's got a lot of information on it from her experience, her friends and doctors. I should have written down her name. Anyway she has had good results with Probiotic supplements. There is also research going on using Probiotics to treat childhood eczema. Add to that the fact that Anti-biotics depopulate your intestines and, well, I'm making a point to eat yogurt every day. Can't hurt and could help. I'll take it!

I'm very tired of itching, and of putting goo on the back of my head and doing so much laundry! I really would like it to heal now.

The Following Friday

O.K. last thing I wrote I was in my "Purple People Eater" phase. All my hives spread out and turned purple. So, over the last week. . . .

My hands and feet finally broke out in hives. I swelled up like a balloon for three days. No breathing problems though. With all the bacteria gone from my skin all the other microbes had a party and I broke out in a secondary rash from all the toxins they are releasing. I have done enough laundry for 5 people, become totally indebted to the Lubriderm fairy, and rediscovered how much healing hives can hurt.

I actually feel pretty good. The only problem is when I forget and think I am good and do something stupid like try to walk too much too fast ( I was walking up and down the driveway at our house to keep my circulation going so I wouldn't swell up so badly) or trying to do all the vacumming at once. Then I realize how ill I really was.

I went to the Dermatologist on Wednesday. He gave me prescriptions for two ointments, another corticosteroid to use for a week followed by a topical medication (I haven't picked this one up at the pharmacy yet, so I don't know exactly what it is). He also told me to bathe in 1/2 cup of bleach in a tub of lukewarm water to get rid of the microbial rave I have going on my skin.

I thought that sounded strange until I actually tried it. I was sure it would have me yelling bloody murder because tap water stings like hell on that rash, but it didn't. It hardly stung at all and twelve hours later the rashy parts are dry and aren't itching. I think I'm liking this! The only problem is I smell like a public pool.

So, from this point, I have two more weeks before my high school reunion. That should be enough time to get my skin back in line so I don't look scary or contagious. I will have all my peeling done with and I'm mostly done with the swelling already. Barring any more crazy reactions to anything else. I should be good.