Update

Its been a long time since I uploaded here but been distracted! Whilst being distracted my skin has worsen but funny enough I'm not too bothered. But people stopping me in the streets to give me their advice on what to use has started again. I don't mind so much as they are trying to help but its always the same information I heard or tried before so it becomes repetitive. Ohh well!

You may ask why you have become distracted and the answer is pregnancy!  Though this great news for me my skin doesn't like me being pregnant, but so far not to bad compared to my last pregnancy. By the end of my last one I think I looked like a zombi and it took about 2 years for me to retain my normal colouring.

I haven't kept up with my juicing or meat free diet, just due to the fact I was very ill with morning sickness. But recently visited a herbalist who said the reason why for me taking flax seed oil etc may not worked for me in the past, could be my body cannot break it down. Which is making sense to me, so was advised to try and take gla tablets google it! It breaks omega 3 & 6 for you. Its something to look into! Until next time keep smiling.

How To Make A Green Smoothie Tasty Every Time

101 uses of coconut oil

Being B*B*J*B: 101 uses of coconut oil: I am sure you can use more than one of these: Uses for Coconut Oil In cooking as a great oil with a high smoke point. Great for baking...

This could be of use to use with eczemic skin!

Shea butter

I make my own whipped Shea butter  mixed with my favourite oils, as a moisturiser for my skin its so good and all natural!!

Juicing

This is the kind of juicing I have been doing. This here is carrots, kale, celery and spinach. It actually taste good-give it a try!! :-)

New Hope

So its been a while since I've logged anything here, but that has been for a reason!  I have started a new diet regime where I have eliminated meat from my diet and started juicing and drinking mostly water.  I touched on the water aspect in my last post, but I have incorporated it into my daily lifestyle now.  So far so good, water dont hurt nobody.  I also embarked on a detox which I have failed but I thought I would continue with the elimination of certain foods.  Which in my case is dairy and meat, I also have cut down on the amount of wheat I consume.

You may ask me what this has to do with eczema and I say everything?  Over the years I have been learning about the body through my studies and general interest and everything starts from within.  Even though the Dr. say I have atopic eczema they have no idea why.  I had it as a child and I grew out of it, it never made sense to me that as soon as I had the children I developed this chronic state that has never left me since, as a child I never had it chronically so it is funny as an adult I'm in a worse place.

So I was put in contact with a family friend whom is a nutrutionist and she suggested detoxing to flush out my toxins and start taking a herbal medicine called Moringa Oleifera which is 'known around the world as rich vegetable source of protein.  It contains 18 amino acids including all 8 essential amino acids.  It has 40 active antioxidants and a profile abundant with phyto-functional nutrients and trace elements'. Further info available at www.moringasource.com
 I know I said I wasnt buying any more products but anything that is completely natural I'm all for that, it's an overall benefit of the body not just eczema!
I think I'm looking at the bigger picture now rather just focusing on the eczema cause it came from somewhere.
So this is where I am at, my favourite change so far has been the juicing.  I am consuming in the form of juice foods I wouldn't normally eat and I actually feel good i.e. celerey, ginger, spinach etc all in it's raw form and I'm eating loads more fruit.  Even cutting out meat hasnt been a problem and I love meat i.e. chicken and turkey I cut out red meat many years ago.  I think in the future I may still eat fish but on a minimal basic. 
For further info about juicing I watched a lot of youtube videos (one in particular is 'theliferegenerator' if you are interested in looking into it, he has over 1500 videos on raw foods and juicing) he explains the benefits of juicing which I haven't detailed here but overal it will flush out your system and help it work effectively from the nutrients, vitamins and enyzmes founds in the fruit and vegetables.  Im still learning and at the early stages but anything green is good, this is the one vital thing I have learnt.  I have also a few books of interest again about the body rather than eczema and the focus is detox and cleaning it up.

Early this month I had my routine visit at the dermatologist and I laid my cards on the table and asked them what can you really do to help me and they couldnt answer the question apart from offering me more drugs (in this case they offered me Mycophenolate Mofetil) which wont cure but suppress the condition and I then will need to have regular blood tests to make sure my kidneys are ok.  I declined and they encouraged me to think about it, which I have and I still declined because I told them I cannot deal with the emotional rollacoaster the drugs put me in.  The false sense that my skin is getting better and really it isnt, because as soon as I stop the drugs it come right back and I then have to learn how to deal with it after spending months enjoying nice skin.
But what I did request was information on how to really use the steriod creams everyone assumed that because I had used the creams for so long I was taught how to use it and I have never been taught especially for long term use.  I recommend everyone who is on long term use of steroid cream to ask the nurses to write down how to use it effectively.
So that is it, I due to go back to the dermatologist in May and they will review whether I want to use the drugs which will still be no! and they will probably sign me off, pending my allergy testing results.  I have requested for this to be done, so I'm getting them done whilst I'm still in the system.

My hands at present are ok, bad but ok! the lichenfication I have has lessened  so the appearance is not as bad as it can be I load up a picture.
So my future plans are to keep up this clean diet which I will not place a name to i.e. vegetarian, vegan because I dont even know what I am at the moment! and see what happens.

I blog you soon and stay positive :)

Right hand

Snapshot from Drink water @ London

Left hand

Pictures of my hands the worse part of my body!

I would.consider this picture of my hands bad at present but it has been better!

Products I use from dermatologists

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The above are what I use from the dermatologists and I do not want to increase the amount!!
Dermol 500 to wash my skin
Dermol 600 to put in the bath - both these products are antimicrobial emollient to keep infections at bay!!
Dermovate ointment - a very potent steroid to apply to the affected area
Betamethasone valerate - strong steroid to apply to affected area, I use this on better days!!

I also use African Shea Butter as a moisturiser which I mix with other oils which I make myself as my skin cannot tolerate anything else from the petroleum range.  Also African black soap on my face which is the only place it will agree with.  I keep everything very simple. 

I have tried most of the products out there so I stick to these which maintain the condition!!

New Regime

For the last 2 weeks I have been trying out a new regime in relation to my skin.  As posted before I started reading a new book 'Your Body's Many Cries for Water' by F. Batmanghelidj.  So far it is an easy read stating that most of the diseases or conditions that occur in the body arise because the body is dehydrated.  It mentions many conditions but so far no mention of eczema, but I feel that I can relate it to my condition.  I was aware before I started reading this book I didnt drink enough of anything! so I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to drink which worked for a while but I visited the toilet a lot!! So I slowed down, the book stated that the kidneys need to flush out any toxins which I have always known, but it then made sense.  I believe my body is fighting something so the toxins need to rid of my body so the water is essential!! My skin is a reflection of what is going on inside. As I need encouragement I downloaded an App onto my phone called 'Water Intake' from the Play store and you set you maximum limit of water intake for the day and then you enter the amount when you drink.  I have a bottle with measurements so it is easy for me.  So far so good.  I'm drinking between 1.5 - 2 litres of water a day!
I hear you say so what about your skin! well I cannot see any difference at the moment but I am giving it time.  I still wake up dry in the mornings but I very dehydrated so I will give it time for my body to replenish itself.

Secondly, I have been playing around with the idea of trying to eat more raw vegan  food.  Which sounds great to me but I have come to the conclusion that it will be a lot difficult that it looks to get started.  At the present moment I am researching the subject matter, watching lots of You tube videos and joining newsletters and blogs to gain the information. 
At present I am not eating any meat red or white, which has been very easy and I am enjoying it! but I have had fish twice and eating lots of salads with each meal.  I'm doing this to clean up my diet and get my digestive system doing what it is meant to do.  So I am literally starting from inside out.

So this is my new regime, only time will tell! I'm off to the hospital for my dermatology appointment next week.  I wonder what they are going to suggest because since I last saw them my skin has got worse but no more drugs that is all I am going to say.  I feel a lot better within myself since I have started this regime, I think  if you feel better within it will definitely show on the outside.

p.s. my infection from last week cleared up the next day but the Dr still wanted to put my on an oral antibiotics to be on the safe side I just wanted a antibiotic cream hmm!! must be more firm with my wishes next time.  I feel others think my skin looks worse than it is because they haven't seen it before, but as I am used to  it I know when something is really bad from good.

The worst case of eczema I have ever seen - You tube video.

I have posted this video as this shows an extreme case of eczema in a way Ive never seen before.  Ive been told by the Dr. that mine is chronic but this puts mine to shame.  Anyway the treatment that the man received appeared to have worked for him, so their is hope out there!!!  I myself will not be buying this product due to the fact I think is a little expensive for my budget, but others may have the budget to try Repcillin.  I also have made a promise to myself not to spend any more money on products cause I just cant handle the let down.  But I sharing this video for others to make up their own minds.

Literature I'm reading

Maybe by drinking more water and moisturising from within! Got my copy from Amazon for £2.85 inexpensive read! Let u know what I think once compete.

Eczema not ezcema

Funny thing, I have a condition I struggle to spell. Sorry for the typo! Surprisingly when you type both into Google it recognises it!!

Infection

Great, I start a blog finally about my skin and the very next morning I wake up and my hands are seeping, I think I got an infection. That's all I need, that's means a trip to the Dr for antibiotics. In the meanwhile whilst I chase an appointment I will bathe my hands in some tea tree solution with water!

Yes I wear cotton gloves to bed to help me retain moisture. I only posted the pic in the gloves as should not scare u guys too much. If I have sorry!
Until next time stay blessed  :-)

Hi and welcome!: Lets go

Hi and welcome!: Lets go: This evening is the first blog I am going to post! its all quite daunting learning how to navigate around this site but I will get there.  F...

Lets go

This evening is the first blog I am going to post! its all quite daunting learning how to navigate around this site but I will get there.  Firstly I would like to introduce myself my name is Benita 34 yrs old and I suffer from Ezcema and have done for the last 6.5 years and guess what! I have had enough. This all started again after I had my first child and grew worse when I became pregnant with my second child, all my features changed.  I suffered with ezcema as a child and I have a history of it in my family on both sides but I grew out of it.  I have now become the mystery to all the Dr's that have tried to treat me hmmmm!!!

I have decided that this is going to be the year that I am going to rid myself of this horrid condition, it somewhat feels like a disease cause it is never ending.  I have somewhat lived with it ever since but I really do not have time for this now, I have a life to lead which I would like to have itch/infection free. 
I will post details of my treatment I have had and the care I have received from the Dr but today is about actually starting this blog.  I have wanted to do this for a long time but never got round to it and I deceided this year I will make time for myself and this is one of the things I feel that I want and need to do.  It sometimes feel very lonely to have this condition, especially when everyone around you has great skin and looks beautiful.  Dont get me wrong I feel I am a beautiful person but I have ugly patches of skin at which people take for granted!!!  FYI my main area of ezcema is mainly on my hands (outer side) so there is no hiding it at any costs. The best thing about winter is being able to wear gloves outside, so no one can see it but my skin hates the winter environment!.  Also I never try to hide it its pointless.
I have decided NO more immunosuppresents drugs and NO more explainations of what can work for me I need to find answers there is always a cause.

What I would like for this blog is a place where I can log my improvement or worsening of my ezcema and I will document this is picture and journal form and for others to do the same and also offer some affordable, simple tips of where and what I find relief in.  I called this blog Ezcema Wars as I feel like I am fighting my own personal war.

Until next time take care and stay blessed :)