[KarolH]

Hi everyone,

I am on the board tonight and having a tough time typing. My fingertips are literally splitting and hurt so bad that it is making it difficult to type. They bleed a little and burn a lot.

The palms of my hands are beginning to look like a man who does construction for a living with callouses coming out all over the palms and tops of the fingers.

My cuticles are horrid and you would think I have not put lotion on my body since my mother gave birth 44 years ago.:lol::lol::lol:

Last but not least it is becoming more and more difficult for me to bend my fingers, instead they feel like boards.

All of this on top of bald spots on my head and half of my eyebrows missing makes me look less then desirable and angers me to no end.

Anyone else feel like a bald man with old skin?????

 

[lin]

Karol, dont sound very nice, i know what uoy mean about keep putting hand cream on and still very dry, maybe a trip to the doc's to see what they can give,

take care Lin xxxxxx

 

[keebler]

(((Karol)))

I hope you have contacted your rhumey about this new symptom. It sounds terribly painful.:hug:Sounds like you need to have it checked out.

I know you have spent quite a bit of time at the hospital. When I have done that, the hospital soap makes my hands so sore and dry.

Sorry that you are having this trouble with everything else you are going threw.:hug:

Please let us know how you are doing.
Love,
Lyn

 

[greenhaggis]

Karol,

You do need to get attention soon for those fingers and hands....sounds very painful, get calling that Specialist again!

Anyone else feel like a bald man with old skin?????

In answer to that NO! I do feel like a nice handsome man, that is witty, bags of money and can cook though, just can't find that man! :wink2::lol:

 

[cad]

Hi Karol,
I really empathise with the hands thing. As you know with MCTD there are usually problems with stiffness and swelling in the hands and the fingers quite often become sausage shaped.
I suffer terribly too. My fingers curl over and are extremely sitff and very painful. The only thing that helps relieve this is steroids, that is the only time when the stiffness is not so bad and even so I still have the pain.
In terms of the skin, mine is awful too, when my hands get really bad and start to split, I do go to my gp who has given me a steroid cream which really did help, overnight to seal up the cracks and give me some relielf, it worked very quickly. I would definatey go and see your doc o get something for this as it is soooooo painfula dn awful.

Good Luck, I hope you feel better soon.

Take Care

Cassie.

 

[orangelily]

Hi Karol sending you big hugs :grouphug2: sorry you not doing great at the moment, please remember you are such an inspiration to others on this great site, please take of yourself.

Have you tried wearing linen gloves, this not only protects your hands but also keeps them slightly warm.

Hope you feeling better very very quickly

 

[KarolH]

When I last had my appointment with the Dermatologist he did prescribe a cream that I have used and it works well but you can not use it on open, broken skin. It causes a burning sensation and if you put it on cut skin it would be like pouring salt into a wound.

I did think initially that the soap from the hospital may have worsened the skin issue however time has passed now and it is getting worse even using my soaps and lotions here at my home.

As for the linen gloves, I do use gloves that are specifically for the hands and are worn over top of protective ointment, thicker then a lotion, and it locks the moisture in while you sleep. This typically has worked in the past but does not seem to be doing a thing this time around.

I am going to continue this over the weekend but if it does not improve by Monday then I will be calling the doctor and informing him of this latest annoyance. I can't even open up a jar, turn a door handle or pick things up and my right hand, dominant hand is worse then my left. I do not have time for this crap right now dealing with everything else.

My husband told me that lately he see's me almost clenching a fist in my sleep and he said it does not look like my hands are relaxed but instead it looks like I am making a fist. This may be adding to some of the pain issues with the joints and why my fingers feel stiff like a board.

I hope you all enjoy your weekend and get out to do something fun!:wink2:

 

[debatat]

((( Karol ))) it does sound very painful. I do think you need to get it looked at by the doc. You might need some steroid cream for your skin. It can be so painful when the skin splits and cracks. Sorry you have to deal with this on top of everything else. It does sound as though you are stressed, which is not suprising. Maybe try to relax before going to sleep? Some lavender on your pillow maybe?

Thinking of you

Deb x

P.S. I like the sound of lesleys man!! :rotfl:

 

[Sage Hen]

Hi Karol,

Ouch! your poor hands.. I agree a visit to the drs, sounds in order. We always run the risk of infection when fingers split open and bleed.

Your under a tremendous amount of stress..and I imagine it is really making
things a lot worse for you.

Yes..I feel like a bald man too..sometimes! Lately, more like a fat woman though..:lol:

Seriously though..I sure hope you begin feeling better soon Karol friend.

Love,
Sandy

 

[KarolH]

Thanks Sandy. I am calling the doctor on Monday, need splints to sleep with at night and I think it will help a lot of the problems. As for fingers splitting open I am hopeful that ointment with gloves will solve the problem. Not sure but the doctor can advise me. Enjoy your weekend.

 

[pamela b]

SO sorry
Hope the doctor sorts it out soon
Pam