Hello,
I have Necrobiosis, I was diagnosed 9 years ago but I have had the lesions for around 11 years - it went undiagnosed for ages!! I have two lesions, one on my left shin about 18cm by 4 cm at widest and a small 2cm circle on my right leg. I am not diabetic but I am checked regularly.
I have been treated with steriod injections, oral steroids, light treatments, ciclosporin (nasty side effects - my kidneys started failing), some tetra-something or other steroid creams, silver treatments etc etc, basically I have tried everything over the years, seen all the specialists and no success in reducing the lesions. Two years ago it severly ulcerated and got a staph infection, this took approx 9 months to clear up and for the skin to grow back.
In the last couple of months the bottom of the larger lesion has become inflamed again but the top of the lesion is losing all its colour and the skin seems to be growing back over the edges - dermatologist is quite excited. I have now found that the only thing that really makes any difference is to treat the active areas with dermovate morning and night and just ensuring that it is moisturised keeps it at bay.
I have tried carrying out surveys on the yahoo support group but can not find any link between the people. I am 24 years old and from the logistics I have looked at I seemed to be the youngest person I have found with the condition until now.
It is really tough to deal with but it surprisingly gets easier, a couple of years ago I would never have dared bare my legs without cover up (I got mines from the british red cross). I am now much more comfortable and the legs are out at the first bit of sunshine (I'm from Scotland so got to make the most of it!!). Most people will not even look at it and at the most I get kids asking "wow!!!! What did you do to your leg?" I now just smile and make up some story about skydiving and when I landed a big tree branch tore a chunk out my leg - makes a much better story than its a skin condition. Even the odd adult that asks I just simply say its a scar, no one ever asks any more.
Hope you get on well at the cover up and don't be scared to show it off - make up your own crazy story to tell or you can steal mine - some poeple just say its a burn, I always think now its just on my legs and I am thankful its not worse. Xx