track mark question? (scar)
 

Hey guys. I've been clean for around 3 months now :bounce but I still have these patches of dark skin around the injection sites on my arms. It's not really noticeable to anybody other than myself but I still hate it. My AH had bad scars on his arms and this looks nothing like his, just a very slight color change that you would think a day in the sun would cover up, but it doesn't, the dark spots just get darker, but still noticeable to only me.
Have any past IV users seen this before? Do you think it'll fade like other scars or is this my life long battle scar?

These are my arms almost 6 years post last shooting dope..... I am just grateful I didn't lose my arms...
I hated it to for a long time until I realized I was alive didn't have HIV or HEP C and I still had arms and hands....
"ah ha moment" gratitude, that I somehow had survived the battle with heroin and the needle......
Who care what my arms look like... I am alive and so many dead.
I wear short sleeves everywhere and if someone asks I say, "It was an accident" It was too, I did not do this to myself on purpose.....

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/100_2755.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...r/100_2754.jpg

I'm sorry Lbad, kind of makes me feel bad for whining over a couple dark spots. I Didn't think they'd show up on the computer but they do, so here they are. Do you think these will go away? I'm very glad to be alive and have my limbs too. I'm also glad I stopped when I did. I've been having a real tough time staying clean the past few days, and I can't thank you enough for those pictures. A good slap saying "Here's whats next" A fresh breath and another reason never to stick a needle in my arm again!!! Thank you!!!!!
http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...pictureid=2196http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...pictureid=2195

Not even noticeable. Don't sweat it. Did I spell noticeable correctly??

I hope so since that's how I spelled it!!!

I guess I'm not really sweating it, it's just a reminder and reminders tend to be triggers for me... Sad but every vein I see is a trigger. I think maybe we might have just fixed that little problem.

((canuhearme)) I think your arms are beautiful and that they will heal completly.... :)

I still, sometimes, when I see really good veins on someone say, "wow!" lol... It gets better though.. I promise...

((Lbad)) I think you are beautiful~ if I could hug you I would. :hug
I love SR more and more all the time, the people here have saved my life on many occasions and I think to day you were one of them.
~Humbled

And here I've been complaining about the huge bruise the stoopid nurse made when I had to have the IV in the ER last week!
I am so sorry...((CAN)) I agree with the others though...your arms look fine to me!
LBad...Have you tried any of the scar relief ointments on the market nowdays? I'm not sure of the names but you might look into it. Also, I've heard gentle daily massage of the area is good too...it's doesn't cost a thing so maybe you could try?!!
((HUGS))
Jane

your arms look fine canuhear no permanent damage or any of that, i actually don't see anything wrong with your arms at all i dunno?.... glad about the 3 months clean hope your feeling better and reeking the benefits of sobriety. stay safe ~~

I don't see any scars at all! ???

Honey...unless you place an arrow in the and show me where it is...I don't see anything. You're beautiful...and very lucky...:-)

Thanks guys, I'll pass on arrows :) No need to point it out at this point. I feel SOOOOO much better now, the fact is I see them in those pictures even bolder than I do on my arms :) but like I said not really scars just darker skin! Maybe I just need to work on my self image :) And you know what, I am!! I've got a new pep in my step. I've been curled up in PJ's for a few days, and decided a while ago to get dressed fix my hair dawn some make-up and just smile. "I'm clean today, I'm in recovery, and to total it all up I'm OK.

I was a IV coke user and I have scars, but they are clear now.It has been almost four years.In time scars will fade.Try some fading cream.

I think mine are cause because while I preferred powder, it was very hard to get most of the time. I was stuck with crack and lemon juice. I knew how bad that was but you know the addict just didn't care.

I don't want to offend anyone... But I got to reading this thread a little bit. And I was just wondering how everyone's first injection came about? I haven't messed with it before but actually recently my cousin had pulled out a mini bag and snorted it. Ever since then something in the back of my head tells me to "just try it, don't inject, just snort it, see what it's like, then don't do it again.." I have NO clue why thoughts like this come about but I'm glad it's nothing I would consider making a reality..

Shaw, can I smack you? DON'T do it! I'll try to answer this with out blowing my top. Because that's what I feel like doing when I hear somebody even thinking about it. It starts just like that, I'll TRY it, and never again, then it has you. Don't make the mistake of thinking you can play with fire and come back without any burns.

Read through these pages get a good feel for how hard we struggle. I see your title is Succeeds at failing! Guess what, this road will bring new meaning to failure. I don't care who you are or what your problems this will make it so much worse.

Good grief, I'm freaking crying...

Shaw, dude, keep it only as a thought and don't act on it. Then try to get the thought outta yer haid.

Or better yet, read through these pages and take not of how many people post a couple times saying "help I think I'm addicted....." then we never hear from them again, I'd bet money that 95% of them didn't just get better.

Good Grief Shaw!! So don't go there!! I came very close to going IV...had even helped others with their rigs. It ain't pretty...it ain't any semblance of fun...and you don't just "do it once". THAT is a fast track to nowhere!! Pull your toes away from the track!!

SORRY! It's just this little nagging thought in the back of my head that is telling me to step it up a level in drug usage. I'm NOT going to act on it. I've been going insane for the past week because I've been sober from pills/alcohol (still smoke weed). I cannot tell you the amount of insanity I feel like I'm experiencing right now. I was going to pick up my script of Clonzapam and found out my doc had taken me off of them which was a bittersweet notion. I haven't been going out at all. I sit in this ******* apartment playing video games, drinking apple juice, smoking weed, doing sit-ups, knowing that my lease doesn't run out for 2 more weeks. It's driving me NUTS! All I want is 5 Xanax 2mgs and I'll be happy but I'm not going to do it.. and it's driving me up the ******* wall.

I actually understand Shaw. Get out, go for a walk. Keep kicking the addicts but. What ever you do keep trying to make it better, don't try to ease your misery you are feeling because then you'll just have to start over. I know your lease isn't up yet but can you go to your dads now? Go back and get your stuff, a change might help get your mind off of things.

My parents told me to tough it out. They don't really know that I have a pill problem. Well, I guess you could say they know when I admitted to my grandma that I had took 20 of her 1mg xanax that she takes half of every night to go to sleep and I consumed 20 of them in 2 days. But my moms being a real bitch about it and telling me I can't stay with her (mostly because of my step-dad). If it was just my mom living alone then I could stay with her whenever. But he runs his mouth about me not being productive, not holding a steady job, and all this other stuff which is COMPLETELY understandable but my god can't you let your boy come to his HOME when he is feeling like this??? And to top it all off, my step-dads son is sitting in jail right now waiting to be sentenced for 2 armed robberies at a gas station and Wendy's because he was on crack. Yet I can't come home because I've got all these problems but can at least keep myself from doing some stupid **** like that. It just blows my mind. I get into it with her everyday telling her this is no healthy way to live even if it is only 2 more weeks and she blows up saying "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WANTED IT THIS WAY, I'VE HAD TO HELP PAY FOR A LOT, YOU'RE STAYING DOWN THERE!" So **** the dumb bitch then. Earlier today I was going to walk outside and shoot my windows out so I could get evicted.. just one of those urges I had to hold back..

LBad,

Thank you very much for sharing your story because I am blessed with the little reminders I have of my addiction. I look at them every day and wonder why I did this to myself. I can't believe I complain about the marks on my arms because they are not as bad as others I have seen. I am very thankful for all of the members here at SR!!