The stigma of eczema

Today I thought I'd share with you some of my experiences of people's attitude to me and my eczema.

It started from when I was at infant school. I remember when we would play games that involved holding hands. I remember the teacher telling the other children to hold me by the wrist so that they didn't "catch" my eczema. This would have been early 80's.

Only yesterday I dealt with someones ignorance. I was in a shop and the checkout girl hadn't noticed my eczema. As she put the change in my hand she noticed it. She quickly snatched her hand away, wiped it on her top and said "eugh!".

I confess I dashed out of the shop crying.

That was the worst. I've lost count of how many times shop staff have gone to put change in my hand but then suddenly dropped it on the counter instead.

HOWEVER, this is where I shock you. I totally understand.

I think my hands are gross too. I didn't realise until I published the photos on this blog. Up until then I hated peoples attitude. I guess living with my hands means I don't see them objectively.

Seeing them like that made me see how gross and repulsive they are.

I remember watching The Food Hospital and it was the episode with the lad with hand eczema. (He inspired me but more of that another day)

My first thought was "yuck!". Then I looked down at my own hands and realised they were much, much worse.

So there you go. I may moan about people's attitude but really it's no big deal. It's not that they think it's catching. Would I want somebody else's blood, pus and dry skin on my hands? If i'm honest...no.

It's not just me

Today I went on the hunt for rice flour ready for this elimination diet. My search took me to a local health shop where I met a lady who had followed the same process as I'm about to embark on.

She told me that although the diet is a long slow process that it would be worth it in the end. I how so. I can't go on like this.

She also passed on a tip to get through the hatred of sprouts problem. Par boil them, coat them in a butter substitute and put them in the oven.

Its just occurred to me that I haven't told you what foods I can have! I shall upload a photo of the paper for now and type them out when I'm at home. I'm sat on a bus at the moment!

Disaster

I HAVE to start this elimination diet regardless of the advice to hold off. Look how bad its getting. :-(

My right hand...the worst

This is my right hand. (Obviously!) I've removed the plaster on my index finger so you can see how bad the cut is. Its deep.

I can see why people shy away from me now. They're disgusting!

I'm desperate to sort this. I can't see me waiting until all the results are back. I just want to get going on this elimination diet.

Eczema on my left hand

I hate my hands. This isn't even them at their worst

Eczema on my neck

Obviously I never see my neck without messing around with various mirrors. I decided to take a photo. Oh I'm horrified!

All change again

Sorry about my absence. I've been away for the weekend as it was my birthday last Friday.

As you may remember I was due to start the elimination diet on Monday. Well when I got home there was a letter waiting for me to say they had found some abnormal white patches on my brain.

They asked me to go in and see them yesterday. I had to go for blood tests on Monday too.

As you can imagine the elimination diet was the last thing on my mind.

The neurologist now wants me to have a lumbar puncture to see if there is any inflammation on my brain.

She also found I was very deficient in b12. This certainly explains a lot of my health problems.

I informed my nutritionist and he has requested that I hold off on the diet until all the blood test results are back.

So I'm free to eat as normal again for a few more days.

I shall call the hospital again on Friday to see if they have anymore results.

I just til a photo of my had. It looks gross! Deciding if to upload it....