Why is it...
...that Baby wakes up with beautiful, non-eczema looking skin the day she has an appointment with her allergist? I've literally been losing my mind over the last couple months (since our last appointment) trying to fight the ongoing losing battle with her skin, and then today she wakes and it's almost clear (it's all relative, of course). The doctor tried to reassure me and tell me that he doesn't think I'm a "paranoid Mom", as he has seen her skin when it's bad, but it's still frustrating because I want him to see her when she's truly having a flare-up.
I haven't written much on this blog about her eczema. I expend enough energy trying to manage it every day, and the last thing I want to do is expend more time/thought/energy on it during her nap time. Suffice it to say that it is BAD. This is not your run-of-the-mill eczema with a few dry patches of skin here and there. This is bright red, ripped up (from scratching), scaly, sometimes bloody, "old man hands" skin. My poor baby. I've never seen anything like it. Any skin that is exposed is vulnerable. That's why her hands and wrists are the worst. When she's in the car she pulls up her pant legs and scratches her legs and ankles. And lately her "favorite" spot is the back of her neck.
We've had her tested for food allergies, but that's not the problem. Her case is one of those cases that's just bad eczema. There's not much we can do other than manage it. We keep her covered from head to toe-- as much as possible. She uses only Dove soap in the bath. Sometimes we use Dial antibacterial to fight the infections. We use a steroid cream, and a topical antibiotic cream, and tons and tons of moisturizers. Not your average moisturizers, but a brand that I have to order online and pay lots of money for. Of course I would pay any sum of money if there were a magic cure that would stop her from feeling so itchy. On top of all of that, she takes benedryl many nights just to help her sleep and to stop her from scratching in her sleep.
Quite possibly one of my favorite things about having a baby with eczema is all the unsolicited advice I encounter from random people on the street. Because it's so obvious that something is wrong, people often feel the need to comment. Actually, this was more often the case in Basel where people always love to offer unsolicited advice on every topic! The other day a little kid at the gym said to me: "Her hands are all red and puffy, did you know that?" That was actually kind of cute because it was coming from another kid, but it's the adults that get me. I know, I know, it's more than likely coming out of care and concern rather than ill-will, but I just get tired of answering the questions and feeling the need to respond with a polite "thanks, but no thanks" to their suggestions.
What's the most frequently heard suggestion (and also the most annoying)? "Have you tried switching to fragrance-free laundry detergent?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME? My baby's skin is red, puffy, and bloody, but no, I hadn't thought about trying that-- thanks so much for the advice! Please, give me some credit here.
Well, now I've written my "I hate eczema" post...
I haven't written much on this blog about her eczema. I expend enough energy trying to manage it every day, and the last thing I want to do is expend more time/thought/energy on it during her nap time. Suffice it to say that it is BAD. This is not your run-of-the-mill eczema with a few dry patches of skin here and there. This is bright red, ripped up (from scratching), scaly, sometimes bloody, "old man hands" skin. My poor baby. I've never seen anything like it. Any skin that is exposed is vulnerable. That's why her hands and wrists are the worst. When she's in the car she pulls up her pant legs and scratches her legs and ankles. And lately her "favorite" spot is the back of her neck.
We've had her tested for food allergies, but that's not the problem. Her case is one of those cases that's just bad eczema. There's not much we can do other than manage it. We keep her covered from head to toe-- as much as possible. She uses only Dove soap in the bath. Sometimes we use Dial antibacterial to fight the infections. We use a steroid cream, and a topical antibiotic cream, and tons and tons of moisturizers. Not your average moisturizers, but a brand that I have to order online and pay lots of money for. Of course I would pay any sum of money if there were a magic cure that would stop her from feeling so itchy. On top of all of that, she takes benedryl many nights just to help her sleep and to stop her from scratching in her sleep.
Quite possibly one of my favorite things about having a baby with eczema is all the unsolicited advice I encounter from random people on the street. Because it's so obvious that something is wrong, people often feel the need to comment. Actually, this was more often the case in Basel where people always love to offer unsolicited advice on every topic! The other day a little kid at the gym said to me: "Her hands are all red and puffy, did you know that?" That was actually kind of cute because it was coming from another kid, but it's the adults that get me. I know, I know, it's more than likely coming out of care and concern rather than ill-will, but I just get tired of answering the questions and feeling the need to respond with a polite "thanks, but no thanks" to their suggestions.
What's the most frequently heard suggestion (and also the most annoying)? "Have you tried switching to fragrance-free laundry detergent?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME? My baby's skin is red, puffy, and bloody, but no, I hadn't thought about trying that-- thanks so much for the advice! Please, give me some credit here.
Well, now I've written my "I hate eczema" post...
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