It finally happened, my body finally had the flareup everyone else has talked about. Jake & Lib from http://eczemahealing.blogspot.com.au had warned me that it would happen, and in Jakes case it was extremely severe and long lasting. Myself however was much less severe only lasting about one week, but in doing so there were some very interesting body-wide affects. So what happened?
Last week I noticed that my stomach was playing up, I felt a little ill when I ate, my tummy was having trouble digesting and I was burping and farting a lot more than normal. These symptoms deteriorated further to the point where I was barely able to use the bathroom (producing very small stool), yet farting and burping non-stop, whilst my stomach was extremely loud as it tried to process the healthy food I was eating. At this point I want to point out that I was eating very healthy, chewing my food a million times per mouthful and drinking lots of water, so it was certainly something else at play.
No so far I've only talked about my guts, but there was also a reemergence of the red, dry, raised skin on my chest and back. It was almost an allergic reaction as this flare was only on these areas and was quite pronounced. Katharine was not all that phased by it, but she did point out that it was quite angry and dry and I always take notice of other people's opinions to validate my own perceptions.
One week in and it has all gone away and back to normal. I woke yesterday morning to see that it had mainly gone away, went straight to the bathroom and took a very large and solid crap (yeap, couldn't think of a nicer word to use here). The point is that the whole system was working together, it broken together and it healed together.
I've been trying to work out why this happens to everyone, I mean it doesn't make logical sense that all of a sudden the body would go back to being bad after being so close to perfect. My theory, with absolutely zero credible evidence is that during the 'using cortisone period' the body is storing byproduct in the skin cells or guts or somewhere, and as the healing takes place this comes out and causes a reaction in the body. I imagine in Jakes case it takes a very long time for this to work through, and in my case there is much less, so much shorter duration. It's just a theory, anyone else got ideas?
Sorry I forgot to take pictures.
New TSW Website by Briana Banos
1 year ago
So theres a theory that in this healing process it moves from the core out, like jake's back was healed over half a hear ago, but the 'flares' moved outward to his extremities until it was only his hands that were 'flaring' & flaking.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what the flare is about, but I kinda disagree with your theory, I can't even think why. I think i believe that its phases the body goes through whilst trying to rebuild a new organ of skin.
I still believe you will experience more of this kind of thing, but we'll see.
Have a safe trip, and cant wait for the beach when you return!!!!!
STAY COOL
Lib :)
p.s Jake only had 2 real flares, the last one was 6 months ago, really he had 13 months of symptoms..so I don't feel that coincides with your theory, also Klein is at 13 months now and is still not in the best shape apparently. I was told kids would take less time to heal but that has also proven to be wrong.
DeleteI still maintain it depends on your general health, and also how adaptable your body is.
hi josh.
ReplyDeletei went through a similar experience . with me it started at around the 5 month mark in my recovery . same symptoms as you but its my neck and especially my hands that flare the worst . it lasts about a week then reacures about every 10 days or so . now it only lasts about two days and then goes . its happened twice now . something i might add is that in 2009 i was suffering a grumbling apendix which ended in the apendix rupturing and i had emegency surgery . all very painfull . i had the same problems with my stomach as you describe and when i spoke to the surgen after the op he said that it was my bowel trying to clear the poisons in my system .the bowel went into like a shock and stopped moving. he said that the bowel is a very sensitive organ and this is why it happened . maybe it could be whats happening . the poisons in our systems are trying to get out but irritating the bowel ? ...its just an idea .
Hey Johnboy,
ReplyDeleteThat is an interesting thought and not dissimilar to what I was thinking, a heap of poison getting into the gut at one time. It was interesting that just before I got better from the flare up, I took a large diarrhoea style bathroom break and after that everything went back to normal. It was almost as if I had expelled the bad stuff and the body was ready to start working again.
thats how it works i think . thats what the surgeon said . my apendix burst on the table when they opened me up but what he said was that when he first saw it it had been leaking poison into my bowel and thats why it shut down . it then rests and then expells . this is why i had the "grumbling" feeling .i would also sweat like crazy and then feel feverish for a day . this could be the gut (bowel) doing the same thing with the crap that TSW causes inside .
ReplyDeletewhile im here , just thought id say a big well done to jake and lib on jakes brilliant news on being fully healed . i saw their blog when i started this and i was horrified by what jake went through . he realy did suffer . i had similar symptoms but not as bad as jake . my hands are the worst still . jake looks fantastic now and im so very pleased for them both .
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly interesting. Since this post my symptoms have come back, but are much less severe and over the course of this weekend have basically gone away. It's funny how the skin sort of 'dries out' and then it all vanishes.
ReplyDeleteThe first time my body was filled with little bumps, then the second time it was more like a hot rash. Interestingly the second time it spread to places it had not been before such as my face and groin. This said, it was very mild compared to the old days and nobody except myself noticed.
All the best.
Hi Josh .Just a heads up to see how your doing buddy . Hope things are good for you mate .
ReplyDeleteHey buddy,
ReplyDeleteI'm travelling around south east asia at the moment having an amazing time. Currently sitting on a beach, shirt off enjoying the sun.
Live is grand!
hi josh, this post knocked me off my chair laughing, only because i had the same symptoms, something i try not to discuss with my husband, but i have no problem talking to strangers about. I started my second flair about month 5, before it i was nearing a normal color but not normal skin yet so i knew i was due for one. the first 5 months was a long slow flair, then the second one lasted about 2 weeks were i had the gas you speak of, was gawd awful, its finally subsided and yesterday i spent about an hour out walking the kids in the beautiful sun, i paid for it all night tho, i sweat profusely all night but woke up hopped in the shower and my skin looks 100%better than yesterday. i would love to know why this stuff rebounds and i know i will know someday but it'll be too late for me by that time I'll be back to normal, but i believe that this will interest me for the rest of my life . i have to say thank you for your blog, its helped me immensely i think because your so candid :) 9 days till month 6. waahoooo... congrats on getting where you are right now, you look great and i love the positivity :) its really the only thing that gets you thru this hell ride :) cheers leela
ReplyDeleteHi Leela,
DeleteThanks for your e-mail. It has been about 3 weeks now and the red flare on my chest, whilst not too bad, has finally gone away. It's interesting how it comes up in patches that are quite persistent. I've been trying to work out if my diet is playing a role at the moment.
One thing I'm about to write about is the small bumps under the skin that have come up on my palms and feet. They aren't a problem, maybe a little itchy, but it's a weird reaction.
Anyway, hope all is well and thanks for writing.
Josh
Many thanks Josh! I am delighted after reading your passage. I am 24 girl who come from Hong Kong. I have severe eczema since I was young and used topical steroid for ages. After read the ITSAN wesite, i started to quite steroid cream. It is 14 days now, my eczema got worse and spread to some new places (that places are very healthy and never used steroid before) Sometimes I feel so depressed and cant sleep well, but I keep telling myself that I must not give up! Glad to see your improvement, hang in there :)
ReplyDeleteHi ng,
ReplyDeleteThe first few months are really hard as the symptoms get worse and worse, but stick with it, take cod liver oil and moisturise a lot. Once you body has cleared itself of the cortisone you will start healing.
I can't tell you how happy I am now my colour is normal and my body largely back to normal. I feel like a real man again, can do everything I want and have far fewer health related issues.
Stay in touch,
Josh