Finding Relief

I was a pretty active kid. I had my fair share of scrapes and bruises and thought nothing of them. Sooner or later they'd all heal. The one scar that immediately comes to mind is the one I got after riding on the back of my Uncle's motorcycle. I was living in Alabama at the time and my Uncle Will had just bought a motorcycle. I begged him to take me for a ride. My grandmother said no but my Uncle said that it would be okay and he wouldn't go fast. A quick spin around the block and as I was getting off the back, my leg brushed the exhaust pipe. Instant burn. Of course, my grandmother fixed me up with a home remedy and wrapped my burn with a torn rag.

After a few days, I was feeling better, the burn was healing and I was ready to be back outside with my friends. If someone were to ask me to point out the spot on my leg that had the burn, it might take me a few seconds but I could find it. It is a light colored spot on the inside of my right leg.

For me, at the time, having a scratch or small cut was just that. Within a few days, I'd barely feel it and life moved on. All of that changed in 2007. Unbeknownst to me, a scratch or small cut was now so much more. I had to have major surgery and the only thing on my mind was healing and getting back to my life. About six weeks into the healing process, I noticed that my surgical cuts were doing something weird. On a check up, my doctor told me that it appeared as though my cut was going to keloid. Millions of Americans suffer from this condition and I was now one of them.

Although my doctor said I'd fully healed, that scar was so painful and totally ugly! The slightest touch shot pain through parts of my body I hadn't noticed before. I couldn't wear pants with buttons or zippers. Long after surgery, I spent months wearing dresses and pants with wide, flat waistbands. My doctor suggested various creams, scrubs and loofah treatments but about two years after surgery, he told me to see a dermatologist if it still bothered me that much.

I gave it some thought and scheduled an appointment. I was discouraged to learn that to have them surgically removed could result in them growing back, possibly worse. Steroid shots and freezing sounded just as horrible. When I got home, Love said, "Babe, they aren't that bad. You are beautiful regardless." I opted to leave them alone and over time part of that surgical scar has smoothed over leaving only small parts of the original keloid.

Since my surgery, I have been tried to be very careful to not get scratches and definitely to not pick at any bumps. If something does appear, I start treating it right away. About five years ago I got a scratch on my upper right chest, Over time it began to show signs of a keloid and has continued to grow despite treating it. Along with the growth has come nearly unbearable pain. Pain that literally keeps me up at night. We have tried every home remedy suggested and every medication that can be prescribed. Nothing has helped.

I have a super high tolerance for pain but this...this is on a different scale. I needed relief and I needed it quick! Yesterday I was back at the dermatologist's office. We started the injection process and oh my, talk about pain. All I could do when I got home was find an ice pack and lay on the floor. I am just starting to get some relief. I am hopeful for a good night's sleep tonight.

In four weeks I will see my dermatologist again. Hopefully, my keloid will have reduced in size and the pain will have subsided. I am always certain to cover them up when I leave the house but my Love thought it wouldn't be right to tell this story and not include a true photo. I took these two days after my visit with the dermatologist.