The Trials and Tribulations of Eczema

nurse

 

I have written about my struggles with eczema a few times. At the time I wondered if my eczema was really a fungus. I came to the conclusion that it’s not. I saw my doctor last summer when my skin started to flare up. It started on both my legs, which my doctor told me was psoriasis, then my face looked red and scaly (eczema). She told me that researchers don’t really know what cause both skin disorders but they suspect it gets worse when the person is stressed. Stress is the diagnosis I got when I had intestinal problems and it turned out that my stress was really cancer. So, when someone tells me that my medical problem is caused by stress, I ignore them and do my own research.

My legs seem to have cleared up on their own, except for dark discoloration spots that I hope will fade before the end of this decade. I never put any cream on them. My doctor did prescribe Hydrocortisone cream 2.5% last summer, which I applied but stopped using because it dried out my skin. I stopped using it and looked for alternative treatments. I went on the Internet to look for answers. There were many recommended treatments, all of them claimed to work. I used organic coconut oil, olive oil, Vicks Vapor Rub (yes, you read that correctly), and finally hemp balm. None of them worked for me. In fact they seemed to make it worse. So, I am back to using the Hydrocortisone cream. My skin looked better almost immediately. I have been using it for two weeks now. My skin isn’t completely clear but it looks much better. My skin is very dry though so I plan to give it one more week to heal then apply organic coconut oil at night.

I started drinking spring water with a teaspoon of  Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. I drink one glass a day. I also ordered an MSM supplement by MRM. I figured whatever is wrong with my skin, it’s a symptom of something else going on inside my system.

It’s funny how weird we get when our skin looks bad. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I am the only one who is self conscious about that sort of stuff. I have done some interviews about my diet and I applied makeup over the affected areas to hide my skin trouble from the camera. I really don’t like putting makeup on my skin but I don’t want anyone focusing on my skin problems either.

I am grateful that my skin does not itch. Everything I read about psoriasis and eczema claims that one of the symptoms are itching (always look for that “silver lining!”).

Hopefully my new skin regimen will work this time. I will keep you posted. If you have tried other treatments that worked for your skin, please leave me a comment below. I am always open to suggestions.

Be Well!

Inge

 

The Fungus is Not a Fungus

LAXMI_TURMERIC_POWDER_400_GM-D__43441_1325637633_1280_1280I am updating a post that I wrote a few weeks ago regarding strange rashes on my body.  https://rectalcancermyass.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/the-fungus-among-us/

My skin looks the same as it did back then and the doctor has decided I have psoriasis on my legs and eczema on my face. The cause? Stress. Stress? Isn’t that what doctors tell us when they are plain stumped? I looked on the web again and Dr. Fuhrman’s site says psoriasis is an autoimmune problem. He suggests eating a healthy diet. I thought I was!

Back to the “drawing board”… I know my body can heal itself and I plan to find out what I can do…herb, food or supplement wise to help it. There are still many other avenues I haven’t checked, like herbs. I tried rubbing coconut oil on my skin and that didn’t work for me.

So I am now experimenting with rubbing pure aloe vera on my skin and adding 1/2 teaspoon turmeric to my daily smoothie. I will keep you posted as to my progress.

Namaste!

Inge