Vitamins

As a going concern i have always taken a multivitamin and always a chewable. I simply cant swallow pills. When I was a kid my dad would scream at me because I wouldn't/couldn't swallow a medication. Well I am past 40 now and I still can't swallow pills. Oh, well..

When I first moved to NYC, fall 1997, my first job was at the Vitamin shoppe. It's still there, 23rd & Park. I worked there for about eight months. The pay sucked but I got an education on supplements. Most of the employees were students but a few were actually doctors (MDs) from other countries unable to practice medicine because they lacked the completion of programs and/or licences that are required to work in the US. I would say that 90% of the supplements that are sold are complete nonsense. And most of the vitamins/etc that you will find at CVS, Duane Reade, Wallgreens and etc are garbage. Oddly though, Wal-Mart carries some of the better brands. As a rule i never scrimp on shoes, bedding or vitamins/drugs.

I was asked by my doctor to add some vitamin D to my daily regimen. The Carlson gems have Omega-3 so i went with that..

Addl pics..

As the weeks roll on and I am taking this lower dose of Prednisone my ulcer seems to be slowly creeping back. I have been using a topical ointment, Ultravate (0.05%). It looks and feels like ordinary Neosporin but it actually does a good job of taming 'hot spots' that erupt on my skin. I just apply a small amount to the affected area twice a day and after a day or two any redness or soreness is gone.

As the pic illustrates, my leg is mostly covered by a scar. The damage to my skin was enough to ruin the hairs on my leg. My legs were generally hairy, nothing crazy, but still 'hairy'. It seems the follicles were removed when my skin was covered by this scar.

A few pics..

Progress as it is..

Here are two different pics of my leg from the other day. The photo effects were added to show what is still an 'ulcer' and what is actually a scar. I have some serious scaring on my leg. Other than ruining my possible career as a runway model for Vilebrequin, it doesn't bother me at all.

My Prednisone has been reduced to 40mg/day and I should be totally off it in the week(s) ahead. It seems my body has been generating the basic side effects of using Prednisone; acne, bulkiness in arms, neck and back, and 'moon face'. My face has gotten chubby. Its as if I am turning Korean!

As I have stated in the past, i have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, cancer of the white blood cells, not a good thing. I'm at a very early 'stage 1', so early that no treatment will be begun until some point in the future, probably a year or so. My 'numbers' are confirmed but very very low. The new drug that i am supposed to take next week is supposed to help treat my Pyoderma but not interfere with any future cancer treatment options.

Progress

Using a little photoshop type magic I have isolated the areas that are still ulcerated. Everything else is healed scar tissue. This is really no pain anymore but it does sting during a shower.

High Blood Pressure

My pressure is usually about 125/75. Since i've been taking the prednisone it has made my blood pressure really rise. because of this situation I have also been taking Lisinopril, 20mg/day. Even taking the blood pressure pill, I seem to still suffer from high pressure. i will prob increase the dosage or move on to another medication.

If you need to watch your blood pressure, this Omron machine is great. One button operation and easy to fit into luggage. I got it on Amazon.com for about $50 bucks. Heck of a deal..

Hair regrowth?

It seems that one of the side effects of Prednisone is hair growth. I noticed about a month ago while shaving that I had hair or stubble on the side of my head, the temple area. I never had hair there before.

Also, as the picture illustrates, I have had some hair loss as I've aged but some of it has grown back. After every shower I comb my hair back so I really am familiar with my hairline. The hairs on my temple are small white hairs, tiny. They have grown much larger and turned black. I'm sure when I stop taking the prednisone all of these hairs will fall out...

January progress

This pic was taken a few days ago. I have been reduced on the prednisone to 50mg a day. Due to this reduction some of the ulcer has returned. The left part of my leg is the part that hurts the most. It really stings.

The pinkish area may appear ulcerated but is in fact scar tissue. It seems that I will have this scar for freeking ever. Well at least until the cancer gets me.

Neosporin

I've been reduced to taking 50mg of Prednisone and using some ointments on what ulcer remains on my leg. The Prednisone I've been taking for about three months and it has cause some side effects, acne on my chest, puffyness around my face and eyes. I don't want to take it anymore but am forced to. Without it my leg will no doubt flare up again. I don't want to go through that painful nonsense again.

Living in NYC sucks if you are trying to save money. Neosporin (1oz) costs about $10 per a tube, CVS brand $8 bucks. Wal-Mart sells a box of two 1oz tubes for $4 bucks! The problem is that all the hippies, commies and econ flunkies refuse to let Wal-Marts exist in Manhattan. For some reason K-Mart is fine though? Anyway whenever I come back to the city, I always try to hit a Wal-Mart before coming back. One can save a fortune.

A few steps forward and one back..

I have been on the Prednisone for a few weeks. My original dosage was 140mg a day and is currently 60mg a day. I have experienced a few side effects such as acne on my neck and forehead and a 'puffyness' around my eyes and face. Also sleepyness of fatigue. When i started taking the prednisone i couldn't sleep. A few hours every few days seemed to be enough. however getting off the drug, reducing my dosage, I have been very sleepy through out my day. After a three hour nap I'll wake up and sit at my computer and then fall asleep in my chair after about 30 minutes. And I'll be napping for about an hour or so before I groggily awaken.

My leg has healed about 85%. The Prednisone has worked out really well for me. However, as my dosage has been reduced, the Pyoderma has returned on two small areas. These areas never really healed but the progress has stopped and actually gone backwards, not a good thing.

Closeup detail

Although some of the area looks sore, it isn't. The patches around the side are actually healed. For some reason the higher area of my leg is healing first and the lower part is 'taking it time'.

This odd patchy 'gunk' on my leg doesn't come off at all, even in the shower. It would be too painfull to have the shower directly hit my leg but to have water run down my side or leg doesn't sting so much. It wasn't more than a month or so ago that to endure the stinging pain of a shower was almost unbearable. I like most people love taking a refreshing hot shower. I even got a Speakman! But alas, even the sensation of warm water involved serious stinging, like hot salty oil.

Aesop fable ideas

This thing is healing up that much is for sure. Its actually a tad strange slowly realizing that this is gonna' become a really large scar on my leg. In this bizzare patchwork of pink, red and what could be best described as 'gunk' there are areas of healed skin. I wish this would heal faster but everything seems to be running on its own schedule or clock speed. I'm just here for the ride. I take my meds, keep the leg clean and dry and hope for the best.

Before I started my treatment it was very difficult and a real pain in the ass to walk around, get things done, daily activity stuff. Presently I find incredable pleasure in walking the neighborhood, going nowhere in particular, listening to my ipod. I hate sitting around the apartment all day doing nothing except reading, watching TV and 'scratching my balls'. A lazy weekend is great but being forced into it for a few months isn't.

Anyway, i'm trying to come up with some kind unbelivable story to go with my unbelivable scar. Lazer accident in college? Chemical spill at the farm? Road rash? Giant mutant jellyfish attack?

Slow progress

Let there be no doubt that the Prednisone is an effective drug but it is going to take some real time, months in fact, to get my leg healed up. Its hard to actually tell but many spots on the top are actually healed but scared. My dermatologist explained to me that they may be 'scaring to significant scaring'. Oh, well there goes my calf/shin modeling career. I didn't care how bad the scars are gonna turn out. I just want this thing out of my life.

My dermatologist has bumped my dosage back up 20mg/day. So, I'm taking 120mg/day again. 100mg wasn't enough. I was developing new sores and old ones were coming back. Screw that!
It seems my dosage is so high that my immune system is being damped out so I am to also take an powerful antibiotic, Bactrim. People with HIV take this drug to prevent sores, opportunistic infections and death. great..

So my immune system is so fucked up that it is attacking healthy tissue so it needed to be toned down to a level that opens me up to opportunistic bugs that I may come into contact with hence forcing me to take yet another drug that is to do the task my immune system seems not willing or able to undertake.

ugh..!

As I have had my intake of Prednisone reduced the Pyoderma's flareup has slowly crept back onto my leg. Last week the entire wound was smooth around the edges. This morning it looks like a pizza crust around the outside portion. These flared up areas are a source of pain. I find myself taking Tylenol throughout most of the day. I hate taking pills but the discomfort at times is simply unbearable.

The edema is still mostly gone which has afforded me the opportunity to walk around my neighborhood. I went to the park this afternoon (Carl Schurz) and just walked around the UES with a cup of coffee in my hand. Simple but something I wouldn't have been comfortable enough to undertake a few weeks ago due to the pain and the edema.

Backtracking

Since I have been on the Prednisone my Pyoderma has cleared up a lot. However my doc has me reducing the dosage over the last week by about 40mg to 100mg a day. Although this seems high, it may not be a high enough dosage. I have noticed, since the dosage reduction, that some of the edges have flared up again. These flareups are a source of stinging pain.

The arrow is pointing to a totally new flareup. It stings and casually bleeds.

Clean up

This picture taken October 13th illustrates by what degree the edges have smoothed out and healed up. I have been using the Telfa bandages along with Mupirocin ointment. It really stings for about fifteen minutes or so after its application but it is effective.

The top part of my Pyoderma looks a bit rough and a sporting a darker red color. This is actually an effect of my bandages sliding off and exposing the higher leg, resulting in some scabbing.

Although it still looks awful the amount of pain and discomfort I had been experiencing has been greatly reduced. At times I feel a single sharpish stinging but its brief and often muted by a few Tylenol.

Slow going

If you think this looks bad, trust me, it fuggin hurts too! At times it feels like a pan of hot grease was poured on my leg, resulting in a shallow but highly stinging pain.

This picture is actually of my lower leg after a good deal of 'cleaning up' and a reduction of swelling and edema after almost two weeks on Prednisone.

The Prednisone has been good for me and my situation, experience of only slight side effects, like insomnia.

A step forward a big step back

I have been on Prednisone for eight days and the results are stunning. The Edema and swelling has almost completely disappeared. The Ulcer is slowly healing and its production of 'yellow fluid' has been very much reduced.

It seems that I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a blood cancer. So, as my leg heals and I gain full use of it again, I am discussing treatments for my newly diagnosed cancer.

Prednisone has a lot of side effects but I haven't experienced much except sleeplessness.

After two days of treatment

When I awake in the morning I usually find that my foot is at it largest for the day. I have no idea why. This morning and even last night I noticed that the swelling or edema had subsided. Although the Pyoderma hurts like a bitch, the edema was always a source of annoyance. I've had a whole closet of shoes that were unwearable because my left foot couldn't fit or it was too much of a squeeze. I've experienced a tight pair of pants after a weekend of heavy drinking and 'feeding' but a tight shoe?

Treatment II

Its amazing these Prednisone pills. I've only taken it for two days and changes are already apparent. The puffiness or inflammation has toned down a notch or two. And the amount of wetness, that annoying yellowish fluid that my Pyoderma weeps out, has gone down. The other day I had to change my bandages every three or four hours tops because of all this damn fluid. Today I changed a set of bandages after six hours of use and they could have been worn a while longer.

I can hardly wait to see the progress after a few weeks on Prednisone.