Free at last, at least for now!

I've been Discharged from Phototherapy. The nurse (Kim) and I agree that my feet are pretty close to normal, close enough to stop!
So I now have 2.5 extra minutes in my day, if I have a fitness appointment the same day, and a huge 1 hour if I don't. What will I do with the time?
Ah, yes, prepare for Christmas, get some exercise, sleep!

Nearly normal

My feet are so close to normal!
There are still some thick/flaky patches, but the phototherapy has been amazing! I'm continuing for another week or so, but then I will feel "cured", at least for a while!

Feet less like leather

The phototherapy seems to be working! The thickness of skin on my soles has been reduced, and most parts feel like actual skin instead of leather.
I bought new shoes but they are not a perfect fit, after all. I'm trying to break them in without hurting my feet. It's a battle.

shining a light on the feet

So, I have now had 4 days of phototherapy, which consists of having UV light shone on my feet (the soles of course) for seconds at a time. We are now up to 23 seconds. For this, I have to get to Bruyère Hospital, park, go home... if traffic is light and parking is easy, it can be done in about 45 minutes, round trip. At least there's no waiting in the clinic; it's very fast.
I think it might be helping. They are in a good phase mostly.

The picture is from October 18, 2010.

Salt water and sunshine did my feet a lot of good. Even though I did more walking than usual while in the DR, the feet were very good. I managed to scrape my heel on a limestone rock when we went swimming in a cavern, though, so there is still something sore. And while there I had a big blister on my left big toe, and a smaller one on the end of my middle toe (also left), but they resolved themselves. I was careful to use my creams and socks, dorky as I felt some of the time. Towards the end, though, I was going barefoot in my sandals some of the time, and not suffering.

Doctor Chestnut's Reaction

Yesterday I went to Dr. C about other stuff, and she was curious to see my feet (practically more curious than the dematologist). So we had a look. She said, "I never thought I'd describe feet like that as looking good." But they are pretty fine, for me, for now. Only a few open bits, and no inflammation.

The wonders of Doak Oil

I seem to have overcome the problems I had last week. More soaking in Doak Oil. More applications of Dovabet and coal tar compound, but trying to avoid the worst bits. I think it's the Doak Oil that makes the most difference. Nasty flakes between my toes!

backsliding

Have I been doing the wrong thing? Too much? Not enough?
Lots of little red spots and some fine blisters, especially under and between my toes. And some calluses next to thin, blistery parts.... aaaagh!

July 4 at the lake. My feet are improving, as long as I wear socks and use lots of vaseline and not too much of the stronger stuff.
The secondary effects of having bad feet, which include bad knees and extra weight gain and general indolence, are starting to subside.
Right now, though, Neil is working hard at raking leaves and I--though feeling guilty--do not wish to join him. I got a big blister on my hand afer an hour's raking yesterday and my feet were starting to react, too.
Swimming is great: I get off my feet and my backside; my legs, knees and arms get some exercise wthout too much strain; and the water is good for my skin. Win, win, win. And even the hike up and down the hill is not as bad as it could have been.

relapsing a little

I did something foolish, which didn't seem serious at the time, but I guess it was.
On Saturday, I walked around for a couple of hours in my sandals (with the new orthotics) WITHOUT SOCKS.
Now I have 2 or 3 cracks, mostly on the right foot, and am trying very hard to make them go away.
I have soaked in Doak; I have spread Vaseline and the other treatments in patchwork configurations, so as not to thin or irritate the sore bits.
I have not stopped wearing socks, except in the bath, for days and days.

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH !!!

Psoriasis is the diagnosis.
Improvements continue every day, but I still have some sore areas.
The swelling has gone down greatly, especially since I finished the antibiotics.

Dr Pratt was a very unpleasant person, but she knows skin, and her prescriptions have been effective.
I also saw Dr. Dossetor, who is a much nicer person, and who agreed with Dr Pratt's plan, except maybe the Soriatane... which she thinks mught be too much.
I also saw Dr Rose of Infectious Diseases (Civic) and a nurse who usually works in the psoriasis clinic, and they felt I was on the right track. He (Rose) said the swelling was due to the infection.
Last week was a busy one for doctoring.
Yesterday I had my colonoscopy (irrelevant to feet, but more doctors). Today I was discharged by the CareFor nurses re infection/wound care, but I will be going back for foot care for the remaining calluses.
Tomorrow, Dr. Chestnut, for a checkup, pap test, and obviously a follow-up on all this.

Trying to recreate the medical history of my feet

May 4, 2010
The feet are feeling a lot better today, as the infection has subsided and the original problem is dormant, at least.
Today's appointment was with a Chiropodist, Lori Barnes, D. Ch. who is the first person to give my condition a name. She thinks it is "sever plantar lichen planus" a systemic fungal infection. Of course, opportunistic bacteria got in and made the mess worse.
She says I need to use the Loprox already prescribed. Twice daily, for several weeks now and whenever it looks as if things are flaring up.
Mary Ann, the nurse from CareFor who referred me to Lori, was there, too. She has some really awful pictures of my feet, but I think she's going to delete them now.

On Friday I'm going to see Dr. Pratt, a dermatologist (referred by Family Health Centre, our doctor).

At noon on Monday, May 3, Dr Chestnut called to check up on my condition and let me know she had been in touch with Dr Walker (Jim) after sending my foot photo (from Tues April 27). She told me some things I've forgotten, probably because Cynthia was there asking questions before I baredly got off the phone.

This morning, May 4, her office called to say I have an appointment with Dr Pratt, a dermatologist, on Friday morning.

On Friday, April 30,
I went to CareFor for nursing care on my foot/feet. They were very concerned about the increased swelling and blistering on my right foot, and insisted I get to Emerg.
So, I spent the afternoon at the Emergency of the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus. I saw Dr Justin Maloney(?), a general Emerg doctor, and then Dr Liu, a resident in Infectious Diseases, and then another Infectious Diseases doctor.
Dr Liu drew a sample of the serum in the big blister on my right foot.
Nurses took blood samples.
Everyone said Hmmmmmmm.
(Neil stayed with me, which was very kind.)