3 days of detox

I am amazed that I completed 3 days of detox programme. Not a single teeny weeny bit of food. I was surviving on fruit juices, liver and kidney tea and some fiber drink. It was my first serious attempt to purge toxins from my body and I am so happy that I did it! Not sure how this will help TSW but I guess its good to clear a choked up pipe from time to time (if you liken our intestines choked up with all the junk food we take to a water pipe choked up with oil and rubbish).

You can read up more on healthy eating from this blog.
http://liuxinyu.wordpress.com/

 

Bye edema!

I am just so glad that I am seeing better days. My feet have improved significantly. Swelling went down alot. Surely I can and will heal! There is much hope!

David Hoskings' Psorexederm Cream

A friend told me about David Hoskings' creams for eczema and I decided to give it a try. I emailed David with pictures of my feet and short medical history. He responded promptly and advised the use of his Hypoallergenic Balm and Psorexederm Cream. 

He suggested I coat my feet with a thick layer of psorexederm and cover it loosely with some cloths. Its kind of mummifying my legs:

I tried the psorexederm for a week and I think it works for me. Look at this picture showing before and after 1 week use. It reduces inflammation and dries up the ooze.

The problem I have with David's psorexederm cream is the mess it creates. It is so sticky and thick that no matter how I wrapped my legs, some cream will stain the parquet, clothing and bed sheets. I really do not like the stickiness on the parquet. I guess I need to find better ways to manage the application of the cream.  

   

My TSW hairstyle

For months I have tied my hair up like an Ah Soh as I cannot stand having even a single strand of hair touching my neck. In fact there were nights I wished I was bald. I had to pull my hair up and tie it on the top of my head just to keep all hair away from my face and neck.  

As I felt better and had more energy to dress up, it dawned on me that I really should do something to my hair. Rebonding, dyeing, perming and cutting are not options (no chemicals to my battered body please). Surely there must be better ways to bun up my hair to look more presentable. So there I was at Helen, learning from the sales assistants how to bun up my hair using hair combs. I am rather pleased with how my hair looks now. And of course, pretty hair combs help. :)

Keeping my hands off scratching (Part 1)

The only way to stop scratching is to keep my hands real busy. I find baking to be rather effective. Baking takes my mind (and hands) off my body and I kind of forget that I need to scratch.

So, begins my baking frenzy.

Banana and Cranberry Muffins (this is a hit with Ashley)

Cornmeal Muffins with Parmesan Cheese and Ground Pepper

(not for the fainthearted)

Blueberry Muffins with Honey (no sugar!)

Made some for the kids' teachers

  

Bread Pudding with Raisins (heaps of it!)

Brownie with and without Pecans (Ashley loves this!)

I seriously cannot resist this

 Another of my staple

 Plum Muffins with Ground Almond. Yummy combination.

  

My Signature Cheesecake

Foccacia with Lemon and Onions

Assorted Foccacia

There are a number of other things that can get me pretty occupied e.g. scrap booking and fixing Lego. Will share with you when I finally get to doing them.  

My feet are in such a mess!

Many commented that I look better than weeks ago. I agree. My face and neck cleared up a bit. However my feet are in such a mess after edema subsided a little. Grotesque is the word to describe my feet. 

I am once again reminded that I shall not succumb to any despair. I shall face my problem bravely. This body is but flesh and the glory of man is like the flower of the grass that withers. I must keep my eyes looking up and set my heart on heaven and do what truly matters: 

"Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because 
“All flesh is as grass,
And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you." (1 Peter 1: 24-25)

With faith I believe God will work something out here. With His grace and mercy I know this mess will not remain! I will and must be a victor!!! 

Oh how I miss my shoes!

I know I am missing my shoes when I decided to bring them all out from the shoe rack and air them.  Told mum that I plan to clean them but in actual fact I just want to look at them. I believe I won’t keep them till few days later… 

Obviously you can tell I have a weakness for shoes. These are my weekend shoes. Yes, I do compartmentalize my life a little. Shoes for work are solely for work and they are stashed under my work desk.  These shoes here are specially kept for the weekends only. Right now I am not sure when I can fit into them…. They look extremely small for my feet now. I can only moon over them by staring…..and to appreciate the fact that I used to have such slim feet….

   

Progression from the big flare (feet)

I simply cannot describe how bad my edema was. I couldn't walk properly. Every inch was painful (at my worst). Colleagues feared that I might fall and suggested that I should take sick leave. Thank God for His grace and mercy, I could manage slowly and yes, no sick leave taken at all! 

This episode helps me appreciate simple things so much more. Never would I imagine myself struggling with moving up the stairs or walking from point to point. I was the super garang woman who could lug tonnes of books and laptop to classrooms when I was heavily pregnant. This time, I needed help from students. Any extra weight on me will add more pressure to my feet. I couldn't carry anything at all. 

I am thankful that this episode humanizes me. I understand a little better the difficulties faced by people with physical disabilities. I was more understanding towards Alex when he had a gout attack a few days ago. This new understanding also changes the way I pray for people. I can empathize with those who are sick. I understand their pain and struggles. I plea too for God's mercy and grace in their lives....

Today I noticed a significant reduction in swell. I am just so thankful that the swell can come down at all. Thank God for every little progress! I still can't fit into any shoes but I am still thankful. Very thankful that He has helped me walked through the darkest days and has given much needed encouragement to lift my heart!     

Progression from the big flare (neck)

I believe I had my first serious flare (at my neck) when I was in my 4th month of withdrawal. It started with red itchy blotches of red (first sign of BURNING see pic dated 26/7). Subsequently, the redness turned brownish and black. Edema followed. My neck swelled up and there were deep horizontal neck folds. My worst was probably on the 30/7. Amazingly, the skin peeled and shed quickly. In a week's time my neck looked much better (7/8).

However, it is known that rebounds are very common in TSW. True enough, my neck looked well for just a few days. On the 8/8, my body reacted to some food and the flare started again. This time, the flare wan't as bad as the previous. It healed quite nicely by 17/8.

Thus far, my body has gone through at least 3 rounds of flare. I am glad that healing comes as fast as the rebound. I could put on some make up and was looking somewhat normal on 25/8. This was how I looked at  Ashley's first Ballet Competition. Oh yes, she's such a gem. Her team came in first and I am just so proud of her!