What to Wear on Prednisone-Pictures of Prednisone Belly and Moon Face

(Okay, I couldn't even put such a negative selfie on here without another to off-set it. My, my. How vain and proud we can become..... and how quickly prednisone can steal what we thought was beauty. )

On prednisone you may consider a tarp, burka, or a bag over your head and a poncho.

Okay. Kidding. But you feel like it. And maybe with a belt and decent make-up you could pull it off.

 

 

 

Okay, I know that there are millions out there that wondering and will google: pictures of moon face on prednisone. Or picture of what prednisone could do to my waistline. (Waistline? Don't waste your time! It all becomes one, big delicious Idahoan Potato. Really.

 

See:

 

The picture above is after a full day. So that includes errands and appts. and raising J.

I wanted it next to what I "normally" looked like on this blog pic so you could see the change; so I could. On prednisone or with Crohns, I should say, I get red blotches on my face and other areas.

And the harder I work, or worse I feel, the more red. So I really appreciate make-up concealer in a lighter skin tone to TONE down those rashes.

 

 

Let's look at it again. hmm. the rash is on my right cheek and chin- if you can notice.

 

The double chin is there along with the Charlie Brown Round Face. And classic look J. must be used to by now. ?

 

Who knows.

I even started this day out with the works. But it ended harsh. (See last photo)

Being sick is devastating. The top photo, where I am minus the buffalo hump on my shoulders and back, minus the chin and huge potato middle; I am sick.

But you can't tell.

 

You can't tell that I am hurting just as much or more. That the possibility of fissures is lurking. That I am going to the bathroom 20 to 30 times. Except that I might be a size 4 or 5.

 

Let's look again for my sake.

 

I've been sicker and a size 2 but I wasn't holding up a camera at those times. It would've been too heavy. But people thought I was healthier.

It's easy to take for granted being able to wear clothes you have and look good. That is a blessing and I appreciate the compliments at these times- although underneath I felt like a fraud. When I see models that are so thin I imagine it must be Painful to be that thin because it was for me.

I wasn't trying to be anorexic but it looked that way. I was eating. I just couldn't keep it in me.

And sometimes I couldn't eat and abhorred even looking at food because it hurt so bad.

So, inadvertently, I was anorexic and got the facial fuzz, the hair falling out. Maybe it was cause of the flare.

 

Again, make-up color can hide the shallow, gaunt. The purple-blue under the eyes.

Thank goodness for those things during times of duress.

It's important to take care of the little things like that in order to keep from falling into the pit of depression.

 

Back to my middle/center picture. Again, I will post it so you can don't have to scroll up.

 

 

 ***Note how my decadent center is almost flush with my now 38 somethings bra size. Yes, I went from 34 B to bodaciousness over the course of a year. Not as cool as you would think. Because this redistributed body fat to your trunk makes it hard to BREATH.  It sits or lays, on your lungs, I swear. And makes you wheeze and suck wind all the time. I swear this drug is so dangerous. Less oxygen= heart workin' harder. Which puts you in there with the heart attack folks, I guess.
That's my "gut" feeling.

You don't die from Crohns. You die from some infection from being so immunosuppressed. Or you put on so much weight right THERE that you have a freaking heart attack. That is my opinion.
 

 

So I am going to include a Fashion tip here.  That Navajo lookin' belt was a small penny at Target. It's S-t-r-e-t-c-h-y and flat. Which is what you want so you can wear shirts and have a seamleass look.  Along with the pants. Little give in them. You'll need that in order to bend over and breathe, too!!
 

 

 In order to get some REAL professional opinion I had to check in with one of my favorite fashion websites.   Almost too afraid to go to one of my favorite blogs:

 cardiganempire.com, to verify with Rachel Bagley, a color that might look good on me and get some serious style inspiration.  I covered my eyes and typed in her site.

 

However I covered them like I was shading my eyes from an eclipse, I was so scared to see all the cuteness that didn't include buffalos.

I typed.

Fashion Goddess, Rachel, has put blogged more about skin color and I found  am a warm and fresh light spring.

I think.

Where is Bagley lady when I NEED her help?????.  AAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!

 

Then I went to the body shape section where she helps you to determine what fruit or vegetable shape wise you are. 

 

NO longer mythical curves.

Yup. That was the only one that wasn't an edible item.

 

 I am now "soft and delicious",  expressed in the shape of an Apple.

 

 

 I hope it's a Fuji Apple.

 

I looked at some things. Got some ideas..... sooooooo important and THEN found this woman's blog:

mommagoround.com

 

You can feel the love just in the name, eh?

 

And she is this amazing plus size gal that shops on a budget and works like superhero on a sewing machine to FIX things on sale and make them look right on her. huh. who thunk? Nina, the sorceress of clothes shopping loves old Navy and Target. And you should SEE what she does to some of the clothes to take them from, meh to MAMA MIA!!!!! Let me EAT that it is so cute! It takes some craftiness.

Like scissors. Thread.

 

Most important:

(Seam Ripper. Don't go crazy with these as you take out seams because you may want to use that thread and go back and fix it once you lose the weight. Comprende?)

 

Impressive. ALL on the cheap. Cause who can afford anything right now? And what if you don't stay a Fuji Apple for a long time? You gotta shop thrift. Get creative. And this girl got my head spinning with some fun ideas....

 

I took an old Target shirt and was able to make it bigger by inserting a cute hankerchief. I am debating going all around the bottom with the doily, but you get the picture.

I even added it to the top because my cleavage is pretty, well I finally have some. And I don't like it to spill out THAT much.

 

 

The ruffle pulled it all together. Even with cami, or whatever, it adds some cuteness and pulls the eye away from that center.

 

I'd already put the seam ripper into effect with a couple of my other shirts. One was an Empire Waisted shirt that was a little too tight. So I released the band so it could be adjust by the tie alone.

 

 

Coupled with a cute cardigan, this was just right for a day of errands.

 

Another shirt is this blouse that was really popular in style a few years back. But it only looks good if you are skinny. You don't want your gut blousing out with it. But I noticed A LOT of bigger sized ladies would wear this style.

 

 

So I released the tension in various spots at the top and then took completely took out three or four rows on the bottom. Now it hangs instead of hugs my apple.

 

 

But there still is some shape there. And, yes, you will have to accept and love that your center will be front and center. You can't hide it all. And that is the part you and I have to accept. (and accept that hang nails don't heal well on pred. Hi, bandaids! )

 

In my circle I am blessed to get hand-me-overs from friends and family. In a variety of sizes.

I made the mistake, once, of getting rid of some things thinking I'd never get THAT big again.

But as luck would have it! They say to dieters to get rid of anything big because of some psychological leaning to go back to that size.

Baloney.

 

You will save yourself time and money if you file those sizes away for a rainy weight.

Unless you are fit as a fiddle and don't have to take meds, lack space and can't hold onto all those extra clothes, then you need to make that decision. All I know is when I have reached some of those higher numbers and have some of the "basics" like skirts for church- oh, bay-be am I relieved.

And they are usually clothes from others that I felt I better hang on to.

 

 

Finally, my foot. Yes, after pushing yourself to more and more walking, running, weight bearing you may end up with this:

 

 

Swollen, bruised areas on your lower appendages.  I get them along my shins, below my knees the most. The skin is thin on prednisone and shows areas where inflammtion is happening.

 

Wear good shoes. Back off pounding the pavement. Wear shoes on the Tread Mill, even if it is a short stint of three to four minutes. Thank goodness the weather is getting a bit better and we can walk on the edge of grass. (This really strengthens my ankles).

 

For now, we will rest. Do 50 toe ups. (Stand next to your dresser and go up like a ballerina but stay on the ball of your foot. Hold it, then slowly go back down. This helps the circulation in the legs!! Better than putting them up in the air and having it come back to your face!

 

These are the things that I wanted to help  others with today.

It's been a post I've worked on over the course of several days. Debating whether or not I should let you in on what I'm looking like. But I know it has helped me to see others in their rainy moments and some of the tips I've gotten from them have been life savers for me!

The biggest is seeing them smile despite the loss of their original looks; to see them become those Renoir paintings because their true beauty shines through and you don't see the outer, you see their spirit.

 

M&Ms burned yesterday and today had to put me up in the 200 range. Ran errands and went to appts.

I will try to do 20 minutes straight on the Tread Mill tonight. See how it goes.