Skin struggles

 Hello beautiful people! I’m back again! Apparently inspiration strikes between the hours of 2am-4am lately so I’m writing this post at precisely 2:37 am whilst watching Grey’s Anatomy and hugging a hot water bottle! Thankfully my Dad is a heavy sleeper so I can have the TV on downstairs without waking him. He’s such a heavy sleeper that if I need to wake him for anything sometimes I end up throwing things at him just to get his attention! Anyway, I digress. I’m awake at this hour not only because I had an idea but because my eczema has flared and I’m in a lot of pain so I thought I’d chat about it.

I was born with eczema, presumably it’s genetic as my Mam also had it but hers was quite mild. My eczema wasn’t too severe as a child to be honest. I remember having to wear cotton gloves to bed to stop me scratching and keep my hands moisturised. Something which I still do by the way although it doesn’t always work as I pull the gloves off in my sleep! My eczema became more severe when I hit my 20’s. They say stress can make it worse and whilst yes that is true it also flares at times when I feel quite calm. I take antihistamines which don’t seem to have any effect, I’ve also had patch testing, a biopsy and blood tests which only revealed an allergy to Lanolin which I already knew I had so I avoid that of course. I’ve tried changing my diet, I’ve even tried avoiding the Guinea Pigs (they weren’t too happy about no cuddles and their Grandad taking care of them so we’re back to normal now as there was no change.) I never thought I’d have to take time off or go to A&E because of my skin. 

I avoid allergens as much as possible and use very basic skincare at the moment but I’m still struggling. I got in the shower earlier and yelped when the water hit me as my skin is all broken and sore. So it’s difficult at the moment. Dermatologists don’t seem to have answers yet and it’s about a year between each appointment. I hate to sound like I’m complaining as I know how busy the NHS is but it’s so hard when you’re in pain. 

If any of you have any tips or hacks to ease eczema that have worked for you then please let me know! I’ll try anything at this point. Oh what I would give for a full night of sleep where it doesn’t feel like I’m laying on sunburn. I’m sick of seeing 2am. As much as I love watching Grey’s Anatomy I’d rather watch it during the day instead of the middle of the night. Oh and whilst I’m here I wanted to thank you all so much for your love on my previous post. The comments and Dms I received blew me away, you’re all so kind and I’m so grateful for you. I fricken love this online community I have. See you all again soon (hopefully not at 2am next time!!)

Laura x