Efudex Day Eighteen

Day 18

May 31, 2013

I think I'm on the mend! This morning, I exfoliated my face (very very gently with a warm wash cloth in shower) which removed all of the dry and dark scabbing. My neck is still raw and seems to become more sensitive and irritated at night, making it difficult to get some good sleep.

After exfoliating, I let my face dry about 10 minutes and then applied the Eucerin Aquaphor to my face, but not my neck. I'm trying to keep my neck dry so it starts to scab and then will hopefully become less sensitive.

I'm feeling good about the progress. Compare today's pictures with day 15 pictures, sun damage spots GONE! I hope the healing process happens quickly. 

Day 15

Day 18 

Efudex Day Seventeen

May 30, 2013

Another rough night with my neck. It feels like someone is holding a curling iron to it...the pictures speak for themselves. I applied an antibiotic ointment because it had lidocaine in it, thinking it would numb the burn, and an ice pack...it didn't help.

Today, my face is feeling very prickly, especially where it is the most red, and I stopped applying the Efudex to my forehead, nose, and cheeks. Now it's time to heal.

Feels like someone held a curling iron to my neck

The dark spots you see on my face are scabs, soon to be gone.

Efudex Day Sixteen

May 29, 2013

Last night was something else! You know when you pull your shirt off over your head and the static electricity zaps you? Well, multiply that by 10 and constant over your face and neck. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night. Tried the Eucerin Aquaphor and an ice pack...didn't help.

On a more positive note, when I was in the shower this morning, I used a soft wash cloth and gently exfoliated the dry scabbing around my mouth and chin. Then applied the Eucerin Aquaphor...what a difference, my chin is totally soft, not leather-like and doesn't burn today. When I can stand to exfoliate the other scabbing areas I will do the same. It's amazing because where I exfoliated I use to have tons of freckles and they're now gone and skin appears to be baby smooth! Still needs to heal, but hopefully baby smooth will be the result :)

The redness seems to be lightening up and the burning is less. But this nerve-like, static electricity zaps are unreal. Yesterday, I had a major nerve zap in my cheek and when I looks in the mirror I have a new sore that looked like it had erupted from the inside out...crazy sci-fi stuff?

There are a few areas on my face that I decided to continue applying the Efudex cream for 2-3 more days. It just seemed like my nose, cheeks (just under my eyes), temples and forehead hadn't progressed like the rest of my face, neck and chest. So we'll see what happens.

In these pictures, you can really see a transformation in my skin. This is exciting.

Looks like a mug shot, LOL

Efudex Day Fifteen

May 28, 2013

Last night's sleep was interrupted a few times by burning and nerve-like zaps (more aggressive than the tingling I described in earlier posts). My face felt like a plasma globe with tendrils of electricity racing around my face. I got up and looked in the mirror and my neck and chest had welts all over, a few were weeping. I should've taken a picture, but I was half asleep and just went back to bed. Another time, I woke up and contemplated getting an ice pack to calm it down, but fell back to sleep.

So, today is my last day of applying the Efudex cream and from what I've read online, I am about to embark on the "tumor disintegration phase" where lesions resolve as the skin exfoliates. Then the last phase is healing...YAY!

I'm not surprised, but just blown away seeing the amount of skin damage and pre-cancerous stuff I have. I will be glad to be rid of it soon!

Efudex Day Fourteen

May 27, 2013

Welcome to day 14, a whole new ball game. Still not painful, but after washing my face, neck, and chest the air drying process has become unnerving. And applying the Efudex cream burns like holy hell, but it's all temporary and goes away after several minutes. My cheeks (just under my eyes) are the most sensitive and are almost driving me to insanity today...probably because my skin is raw, scabbing, and cracking. It feels like little biting ants are crawling across my face (this is the nerve-like tingling) The Eucerin Aquaphor is a miracle soother!! 

I've had some friends tell me, "I find it hard to believe that isn't painful" and "Sally, there's no need to be stoic." I'm just not a big complainer and I guess I have a different definition of pain or maybe it's my high tolerance for it. Pain for me is a migraine for 3 days, bone spurs and arthritis in my shoulder, or rehabilitation after having my shoulder joint replaced, twice! This Efudex treatment doesn't come close to pain for me...and I am grateful.

Efudex Day Thirteen

May 26, 2013

My face is so dry and tight I don't think I could crack a smile if I wanted. Feeling a little more burn and nerve-like tingling today, especially where some spots are starting to "erupt." I don't know if all of the pre-cancerous spots are going to do this, but I wanted to show you a close up of my neck (see below), where a dark dry spot erupted into a blister-like sore.

Feeling a lot more irritation and swelling, but still wouldn't describe as painful. Washing my face and neck was less sensitive today, probably because the scabbing is protecting my skin, but patting my face and neck dry was like scrubbing it with sandpaper.

My face feels like it's going to crack, similar to leaving a mud mask
on too long, except with crazy burning and nerve-like tingling.

This is the spot on my neck that has erupted.

The originally flat spot above the eruption
looks like it's being pushed out of my neck.

Very red. Feeling like leather face.

Here's my favorite unfunnyzz video.

Oh, and I want to thank my nephew, Brett, for spending the whole day with me. We stayed inside and messed around on the computer making silly videos, examining and laughing at my face, and just hanging out.

If you like to laugh, check out Brett Fisher on his You Tube channel: unfunnyzz

Efudex Day Twelve

May 25, 2013

I'm feeling the same as yesterday, with the exception of waking up with a cold! My face, neck, and chest are still really red, and some areas are getting brown and scabby. I'm not sure what phase I'm in, but I feel like my face is starting to heal in some spots, other spots are still sore and raw.

Washing and drying my face is not pleasant, and applying the EFudex cream is no longer soothing. But I must say, to date, this has not been a painful experience for me. Although, I do have a 3 year old that has been distracting my every moment and now this stinkin' cold. Two and a half more days of applying cream.

Looking extra lovely today :)