March 3, 2009
My main focus recently has been my children...well their skin. They all have eczema really bad. My oldest has been flaring up so badly it's made both me and my husband have private crying sessions. She flared up really badly after a round of antibiotics. Then she received prednizone for that and then the dermatologist wanted to perscribe more steriods! Well for once I am grateful that we don't have health insurance. It gave us an excuse not to fill the perscriptions for all of the steriods. We filled one but ended up using it only a few times. Now you may say "you have to be consistant!" Well we've been using stuff for almost 5 years (she's five). And I used to be very consistant-but her eczema is resistant, stubborn, reluctant to leave. I'm sick of using stuff that doesn't work and poses unhealthy side effects. Thank God my PCP invited us to this homeopathic class she is taking in Chicago. We were the specimens. They put Hadessa and me in front of the class and asked us alot of questions about her eczema. It was all worth it becuase they were going to diagnose and provide the medines for FREE! And on top of it the doctors were so wonderful and sweet. They really want to help us and they really want to intergrate homeopathic treatments into their practices.
The doctor who teaches is from France and I can't remember all of their names but they were so welcoming and comforting. The pediatrician that interviewed us was wonderful and very good with getting my five year old comfortable. I am looking forward to trying the medicines. Meanwhile they told us to use coconut oil becuase petroleum jelly (vaseline) is really bad for the skin although it seems to work in the short term. We started the coconut oil about a week ago. At first it seemed as though it was wasn't working. It wasn't really softening the skin! I was getting really upset. But my mother in law who had my daughter was using it simultaneously to me using it on my youngest son. We both experienced the same thing:
first time-it doesn't seem to really penetrate the skin and moisturize until maybe 30 minutes into the massage.
second time-the dead skin starts to flake off and then the coconut oil can go deeper into the skin and feels like it's moisturizing more.
subsequent times-it seems as though the coconut oil causes the top crusty layer of skin dries up and flakes off which is great becuase they both have what they call "elephant skin."
We've also added fish oil, and today I stareted Vitamin D supplements for them. I can't wait until the weather gets warmer. The sun helps their skin so much.
Oh-we also bathe them in water with a little apple cider vinegar or a little bleach in the water. (I know it scared me at first too.)
I also give them a little manuka honey on a spoon a few times a day.
I will follow up when we receive the medication. Right now it doesn't look a whole whole lot better but it's holding and I don't have to use steriods!
WHAT ELSE? Well I'm getting ready to direct "A Song for Peace" for the third year in a row. I have a co-director Rachel Ward which is great since I'm acting in it as well. check out www.asongforpeace.org for my blog there!
